


Falling Stars

by MusaGal



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Adult Content, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Avengers (2012), Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Humor, Light Angst, Romance, tasertricks - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-25 17:16:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13839384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusaGal/pseuds/MusaGal
Summary: Life is hard enough as it is, trying to figure your life out as a young woman, but throw in Norse gods, secret organizations and magic, and Darcy is left with a bit of a mess.  A story about personal growth in a strange, strange world.  Takes place just after the first Thor movie and is a divergence from the MCU canon after The Avengers.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea rattling around in my head for a good long while now. The story's main focus will be Darcy and her relationship with Loki and radical changes her life takes. I would love to promise consistent updates, but I have a full time job, usual adult responsibilities and a hobby that takes up a good chunk of my time as well. I'll do my best to update as often as I can :)
> 
> Please enjoy!

_People ran screaming and taking shelter in the dusty streets of small town Puente Antiguo. From behind one building, Darcy had plastered herself against a wall, letting out a yelp as another blast fired, sending a car flying past her in a fiery mess of metal. Her stomach lurched at the lessened cries of the townspeople.  From just beyond her hiding spot, she could make out the battered and beaten body of one of the Warriors Three who had only arrived and they weren't moving. The heavy mechanical steps of the Asgardian weapon shook the ground as it closed in._

  _Squeezing her eyes shut, Darcy could feel hot tears roll down her cheeks out of pure fear. It lumbered further down the street, but Darcy couldn't move. She was stuck where she stood. The intern could do nothing as the metal figure came into view and turned its attention onto her trembling form._

  _The maw of the weapon slowly opened to reveal it's fiery, swirling depths as it prepared to fire directly at the human. Darcy's lips parted in a silent scream as the blast engulfed her form, accompanied with a loud ringing._

 

Darcy shot up in her bed, surrounded in a tangled mess of her sheets and blankets as her alarm clock rung out. Cool sweat beaded down her forehead and she wiped at it before smacking her alarm off, the digital numbers reading 7:30PM. Her whole body was flared up in an uncomfortable heat, as if she could feel the very flames that engulfed her in the dream. Rubbing at her eyes, she heaved a sigh and reached for her glasses on the nightstand table.

 Ever since the encounter with Thor and the attack three months ago, she'd had that recurring nightmare at least once a week. Each time she dreamt it, it only got worse and felt all too real. Rubbing her arms, she walked over to the bedroom window, and pulled back the dark curtains to reveal the setting sun and allowed the cooling breeze to soothe her warm skin.On her bedside table, her phone vibrated. Picking it up, Darcy gave a small smile.

**Jane: Skype hangout before you go to bed?**

**Darcy: Duh! See you then <3 **

**Jane: <3 **

Setting her phone aside, Darcy dragged her butt into the bathroom to start her 'morning' ritual. Barely a week after the whole Thor incident, Jane and Erik had been brought to SHIELD's HQ and brought onto their payroll for their expertise and work. Jane had begged Darcy to stay behind and continue her work, scanning the skies, watching for Thor's return. Ultimately, Darcy had little else in the way of options at the time and felt bad for Jane in her desperation to find Thor again. Having dropped out of college, Darcy needed a job. It wasn't a glamorous one, but it’s not like her expertise was needed at SHIELD.

 Due to the nature of watching and scanning for activity on the night skies in the middle of the desert, Darcy was on a 3rd shift-like schedule. Awake and working at night and asleep during the day. It didn't do much for a young woman's social life. Not that there was really one to be had in Puente Antiguo aside from the one bar that was usually more empty than full. She had a fairly simple routine. Wake up just before nightfall, wash up, have breakfast and then head out into the desert. She and Jane also had regular Skype hangout sessions to keep in touch. Sometimes they'd watch a movie together or just have good gab session. The scientist didn't tend to get out much either and so their ritual together helped bring the both of them a bit of sanity. A dull ache thrummed in Darcy’s chest as her thoughts lingered on her best friend and the loneliness amplified by her absence.

 Pushing the ache away, she shuffled about her cramped apartment, drying her hair idly as she popped a pair of Pop-Tarts into the toaster. The old place she had shared with Jane and Erik had been too big for Darcy and the rent a bit much for her budget. The one bedroom apartment suited her well enough though. She had her knick-knacks and books cluttered about, giving it a slightly more cramped and disorganized feel. The kitchen table that sat 2 people comfortably was pushed against one wall, between the open space of the kitchen and living room space and covered in old readings. In the living room there was squeaky pull out couch and equally old lounger that you had to smack a few times to get the footrest to pop up. What Darcy had been particular in was her electronics. Her tv was decent enough and she had satellite. Tucked in her bedroom was a desk stacked with books and a laptop, leaving little space to maneuver around the room.

 Just as Darcy finished pulling on her boots, her sugary breakfast pastries popped up out of the toaster. Pouring her coffee into a tumbler, she grabbed the pastries and slung a pack over one shoulder before departing the apartment. Making sure the door closed properly and locked up, she made her way down a narrow, poorly lit hallway to a stairwell that constantly held an old musty smell. The small complex was only 3 stories and didn't have a working elevator. She still had the same giant white van, which thankfully hadn't been destroyed during the attack, seeing how all the necessary tech was inside. Taking a big bite of her pop-tart, Darcy started the engine and began the drive out into the desert.

 Several hours had passed, nothing out of the ordinary as usual. Sipping at the now cooled coffee, Darcy tapped away on her laptop to pass the time. If anything were to come up, there would be an array of boops and beeps. Adjusting her glasses, she scrolled through an article on the latest spotting of what someone swore to be Captain America. Ever since Thor, Darcy wanted to know more about these 'Supers' that were seeming to pop-up. Of course there was Ironman who was easy enough to keep up on, seeing how the billionaire, Tony Stark, had outed himself publicly. Anything beyond that though never lasted long on the internet before it was scrubbed away. Most likely SHIELD. The photo of what someone claimed to be Steve Rogers was a blurry zoomed in picture of a blonde man in a baseball cap, keeping his head down and slouching. The young woman rolled her eyes. She definitely wouldn't mind meeting the legendary war hero, but it would impossible for him to be alive all this time and still looking like a babe.

 Glancing down at her phone, Darcy let out a long exhale. The night was still unfortunately young. Around her were some loose papers with messy doodles and scribbles that she’d make while zoning out and listening to music. This used to actually be somewhat fun with Jane and Erik around. At least when things got boring and quiet, Erik would start to tell the young women all sorts of stories from mythology to personal drunken adventures from when he was younger. She even missed Jane constantly shushing her the moment there was in change from the computers. It was way too quiet for her liking. Tilting her head from side to side, Darcy groaned and plopped her forehead down onto an open notebook. It was time for a little stretch.

 Standing up from her chair in the back of the van, Darcy opened up one of the back doors and hopped out. Stretching her arms over her head, she looked up. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, seeing the night sky in its full glory, stretching over head without any light pollution. It wasn't all bad. Walking a small distance from the van, Darcy gave her legs a good few stretches. She wasn't all that concerned with any unwanted visitors. She had yet to run into anyone else out here in the middle of the night. Besides, she always carried her trusty taser. If she could take down the god of thunder, she could take anyone down with it. Toeing a rock with her boot she gave a soft kick and watched it roll along the dusty surface.

 Suddenly the hairs on the her arms stood on end as if the air was charged with a strong energy. Furrowing her brows, Darcy looked up at the sky, "Shit." That definitely was not normal. A eerie blue ring had formed and something slipped out of it in a bright, blinding light. Shielding her eyes and blinking away the spots in her vision from the sudden brightness, she turned on her heel and stumbled back to the van where all the electronics were going crazy. "Shit, shit, shit!" The monitors were spitting out sheets of readings at an alarming pace. Picking up one of the ever growing sheets, Darcy gave it a look over. She didn't recognize this. She had studied over the readings from when Thor had fallen from the sky, due Jane's insistence. This was different. Heart hammering wildly in her chest, Darcy had to make a decision. Venture out for herself or call Jane.

 It could be nothing serious. And if she called Jane, it would just be getting her hopes up all over again. Not to mention that at the slightest mention of anything, SHIELD would crawling all over the area and Darcy was loathe to deal with that whole production any time soon. Chewing on her lip, she continued to skim the readout, at least attempting to make heads or tails of this.

 A strange pulse ripped through the air that knocked out all the electronics, followed by a deep rumble. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" Darcy was in total darkness in the van as the rumble worsened. Whatever was coming would be landing not too far away. Darcy looked down at her dead phone. Everything was shaking in the van and she dropped to her knees, covering her head as there was some sort of the impact, sending the van teetering back and forth. "Jesus, I am not paid enough for this!" Darcy cried out. It all came to a standstill after only a few moments.

 Cautiously, the brunette stood up on shaky legs, bracing herself against the table the computers and readers sat on. She slowly made her way towards the back doors, careful to not trip over any of the tech that had tumbled off the table and climbed out, coughing and waving a hand in front of her face from kicked up dust in the air. Walking around the van, she peered in the distance. Whatever landed wasn't all that far away. Glancing down at her phone, she tried to turn it on with no luck. Cussing quietly, she tucked it away and wrapped a hand around her taser. Swallowing hard, the young woman walked forward.

 If it was Thor, she was going to have a few choice words for the god of lightning. Darcy was almost tempted to tase him after leaving Jane the way he did with no word for months on end. The guy might be a total hunk, but left a lot to be desired in her eyes. The connection between him and Jane left her a little confused honestly.

 Moving forward, the air was crackling with some sort of energy that gave her goosebumps and made her stomach flip flop violently. She had to be getting close, but it was so hard to see properly in the depths of the night and dust. Coughing from the dust and waving her free hand in front of her, Darcy’s foot suddenly hit something solid and there was deep groan from the ground.

 Shrieking and clutching her taser, Darcy stumbled backwards as she saw a large, dark figure on the ground. "D-don't move or I'll shoot!" Yeah, that was real menacing. She pointed her taser at the figure that merely made a pained noise and barely moved.

 As the dust began to eventually clear, she realized the figure was a man. An exceptionally largely built man who was clothed in dark, heavy leathers accented in metal. Long dark tendrils framed his pale, sharp face as he laid there taking shallow breaths. Well, that certainly wasn't Thor.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Looking down at the man laid out on the dusty ground, he was in a poor state, looking like he had been to hell and back. He was unmoving and taking shallow breaths. Lowering her taser ever so slightly, Darcy cleared her throat, "Who are you?" He certainly looked Asgardian, based on her limited interactions with Thor and his friends. He twitched at the sound of her voice, his eyes snapping open to reveal bright green eyes that immediately landed on her. Darcy couldn't help but take a step back from the intensity of the look. It was the look of a wounded wild animal, but there was something else working behind it.

His long fingers dug into the earth as he rolled over onto his side with a deep hiss of pain. Momentarily his eyes clenched shut before reopening, looking up at Darcy, "H-help." He rasped out. Well, that certainly wasn't threatening.

Lowering her taser, Darcy looked around. They were completely alone out here and she couldn't in good conscience leave this guy out here, it was freezing. She also couldn't call in any help, and bringing back help would raise too many questions that would probably get her in hot water with SHIELD over involving more people with aliens. Best case scenario was to get him in the van and back to her place and ask questions later. Looking back at the van in the distance, she prayed the battery would work. Turning her attention back to the man, she knew this was going to be a struggle on them both.

"Okay... You are way too big for me to drag your butt all the way back to the van. I'm gonna try and get it running and bring it over here. Don't...Don't go anywhere."  She swore she could see a flash of annoyance in his eyes as he gave a nod.

Darcy wasted no time in jogging back to the van. Hopefully he wasn't beyond her basic first aid skills. She didn't need another Thor-like visit to the hospital like the last time an alien-god fell from the sky. Hopping into the driver's seat, Darcy slid the key into the ignition and turned. Nothing happened. "No, no, no! C'mon, you piece of shit!" Thumping the side of the steering wheel and twisting the key once more, the van came to life and the headlights flickered on. Breathing a sigh of relief, Darcy drove the vehicle as close as she could to the man, backing up. The less she had to haul him, the better.

Approaching him once again, he had managed to sit up. Sort of. He was clutching his side and looked like he could pass out at any given moment. "Do you think you can climb into the back?" She opened the doors. He glared at the vehicle and set his jaw as he tried to stand up on his own. What resulted was what Darcy could only guess as a curse in his own language as he stumbled forward. She was at his side, bracing against his weight as she slung an arm over her shoulders, his form towering over her petite one, "Holy shit, dude. Could you be any heavier?" Together they took several slow steps to the back of the van where she eased him in, propped up one side of the van on the floor. It wasn't exactly the safest way to travel, but they were very low on options right now. Jumping into the driver's seat, the vehicle lurched forward as she hit the gas pedal. A low grown sounded from the back. "Stay with me, Starman! You can't pass out just yet." White knuckled, Darcy raced through the empty darkness of the desert, kicking up dirt and dust in her wake as she drove towards Puente Antiguo. 

Darcy was eternally thankful that the town was entirely dead at this time of the night, or morning as it now were. The sun wouldn't be rising for a few hours yet. Slinging her pack in the crook of her elbow, Darcy opened the rear doors. Starman definitely did not look so great. He hadn't made much noise the entire ride and had broken out into a sweat, taking on a dangerously pale hue. He also still clutched at his left side. Eyes half lidded in a daze, he regarded Darcy.

"I know this is gonna really suck, but I need you to be as quiet as possible as we make it up to my apartment. We can't afford drawing any attention. We've been pretty fucking lucky as it is." Chewing on her full lower lip, she extended her hand out to him. He eyed it distrustfully for a minute. "Come on, Starman. If I was gonna do something, I would've left your ass out there to freeze." They needed to get moving before anyone saw them.

Grunting, the raven haired man took her hand and she helped him out as carefully as possible. Bracing his weight once more, she could tell he was losing whatever strength he had, as he leaned on her even more this time. "Okay, one step at a time..." She grunted and the two made it slowly towards the back entrance of the apartment, by the stairwell. She heard a grumble from him as they approached the first flight of stairs, "Yeah, I know. Just bear with me a bit longer."

The stairwell was a slow, painful task as they took it one step at a time, having to make pauses for the both of them. She tried to not complain about her burning muscles to the guy barely on the brink of consciousness.

"Thank god!" Darcy breathed as they reached her floor and pushed past the stairwell door to make the journey down the hallway. The narrow space could barely fit the two of them side by side due to his frame. "Geeze, you're really gonna love my place." Darcy huffed out dryly as they stopped in front of her door. Awkwardly, she fished the keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door. Giving the door a shove, it stuck. "Oh, come on!" She hissed and jiggled the handle a bit harder. The man's annoyance radiated off of him. Giving a hard kick, the door popped open.

Tossing her bag to one side, they staggered towards the couch where the man fell down onto the lumpy thing with a long groan. Darcy rushed over to close the door and lock it. "Okay, first aid kit..." She wracked her brain a moment before dashing into the bathroom and emerged with a kit. Setting it down on the floor, Darcy crouched before the pale man, "This is probably gonna suck. We need to get you cleaned up so you don't develop any infections. And I need you to try and keep it quiet." It was then Darcy noticed the side he had been clutching had a crimson stain seeping through his coat.

"Shit. W-we need to get you out of all that." That got her little reaction, which couldn't be good. Pushing her glasses back up on her nose, Darcy moved forward and began the process of removing the top half of his attire. The long, leather jacket proved the worst of it with the buckles and its weight. "How do you even move in this thing?" She voiced out loud as she tossed it aside on the floor haphazardly with a thump. His jaw was clenched tightly in is attempt to not yell out in pain and wake up all her neighbours. The next layer came off which left him in what she could only assume was some sort of tunic undershirt.

Eying this side, Darcy winced. "I think we'll need to cut this off." The shirt was sticking to his wound. He made no noise of objection as she brought a pair scissors from the kit to the hem and began to cut up the length of the garment. A faint blush rose to her cheeks as she saw just how sculpted he was underneath all those layers. She also took notice of all the angry bruises that littered his torso. "Geeze, Starman, what the hell happened?"

Dousing her hands in rubbing alcohol, Darcy reached to slowly peel away the shirt from the wound. The man went rigid and hissed lowly, his bright green eyes going wide. A frown pulled on her lips, "I'm gonna have to stitch that up... And, I mean, I know how to do a stitch, I just haven't really done it on someone's skin before." She looked rather pale herself at the thought.  _ 'Don't throw up, Darce.' _

Soaking cotton in alcohol, she began to clean at the wound. That earned some real guttural sounds of pain. Next she began to thread a needle from the kit with thread. Bless Erik for always encouraging the girls' safety in being prepared. Exhaling as she leaned forward, Darcy nibbled on her lip, "My name is Darcy, by the way." His eyes flickered down to watch the girl as she held the needle flush to his skin. "I'm sorry." She pushed it through and began to work as carefully as possible. It took longer than either would have liked, but Darcy tied the stitch and snipped it off. It wasn't too bad and only a little bit crooked. Dabbing an ointment over it, she covered it with gauze.

Taking a step back, she looked him over. All she could do now was treat the superficial cuts on his face. Walking over to the sink, she washed her hands of his blood. It was a jarring sight that would typically make her nauseous but adrenaline had thankfully kicked in earlier and was the only thing keeping her alert. Washing her hands, Darcy found a clean cloth and ran it under cold water before wringing it out. Stepping out to check on him, he was barely awake, but breathing steady. Darcy pressed the cool cloth to his forehead, holding it there with one hand as she doused more cotton with alcohol. Keeping the cloth steady, she gently dabbed at the cuts on his face, making sure they too were clean.

It was only now, as she had a chance to properly study his face, that Darcy realized just how good looking this man truly was. He had the facial bone structure that would put so many models to shame. Dabbing at a cut on his lip, Darcy mentally chastised herself for wondering just how soft they were.  _ 'Down girl. Let's get him mended up first. You don’t even have a clue who the hell he even is.' _

By the time Darcy was satisfied with all she could do, the sun was rising into the sky. Rinsing out the cloth once more and placing it over his forehead, Dracy noticed just how much the man dwarfed the couch, his legs nearly dangling over the side. There was no pulling it out into a bed right now. With a long exhale, she sought out a blanket and draped it over his form.

"I don't even wanna think of how much trouble this will get me in..." The last thing she wanted to deal with again were those agents, especially the Coulson guy, who would question her into oblivion. And possibly confiscate more of her things.

Pulling the blinds down in the living room, Darcy fell back into the lounger, too tired to move even another step. She stared the slumbering man,  _ ‘What the fuck am I even gonna do with you?’ _  But that was a problem for Future Darcy. Current Darcy was beyond exhausted, the adrenaline definitely worn off by this point. It wasn't long before she was out cold and breathing softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! I decided to post this ahead of schedule, as I'm currently working on future chapters at a decent pace!


	3. Chapter 3

Agony and darkness. That was all Loki felt as he had fallen from the Rainbow Bridge into nothing. He had no idea how long he had drifted through worlds, only his anger fueling him. That was when Thanos found the God of Mischief and Lies. He fed off that fury and had twisted his mind and body further. He vowed to regain his strength and lay waste to Midgard with the Chitauri army. 

Pain and discomfort were the first things to register in Loki's mind as he sluggishly came to. Shifting uncomfortably, the couch he was laid out on squeaked, making him more alert. He had nearly no recollection of the previous night. Sitting up, the blanket that had been laid over him fell to his waist and revealed the gash on his right side had been tended to. He quirked a brow, observing his surroundings of the tiny, cluttered space. It seemed to be a criminally cramped, small living quarters. His eyes fell to the young woman, curled up in a chair and snoring softly.

The woman from last night. Her voice echoed in Loki's mind. Darcy. Her skin was pale and creamy with long, dark wavy tresses that framed her face. She had forgotten to take her spectacles off, as they were currently on the very edge of her slightly pointed nose. There was something vaguely familiar about her that he couldn’t place at that very moment. A ghastly snore that sounded like a beast from Asgard escaped her and Loki blinked several times. How could such a noise emit from a lovely looking creature? The god shook his head. His whole body still ached terribly and it would be some time until he could make a full recovery, especially in such a primitive place. The room he was in was entirely too cramped and full of mess and clutter.

He needed more information on this girl before he could move forward. She didn't seem like a serious threat, but he needed to be sure he could rest here without any obstacles for his plans. If it came down to it, he could kill her easily enough. Although he did need to know more about Midgard and what he would be facing exactly.

A sleepy groan from Darcy roused him from his thoughts as she straightened up in her seat, pushing her glasses up. Blinking away her grogginess, it took her moment  for her gaze to turn to him. "Oh good, you didn't die!" She joked lightly, "For awhile there, I was wracking my brain on what the heck I'd do with some giant Asgardian." Loki stiffened and Darcy smirked, "Aha! So you are from Asgard. I kinda figured with the whole getup and, well, the whole falling from the sky. You folks have a habit of doing that." She stood up and took a step towards him, "How are you feeling? You already look better from last night. You must've taken a real beating. What happened?" Loki could hardly get a word in. "Crap, do you even understand what I'm saying? Can you speak English? Oh, are you a mute? Wait, no, you did say a few things last night..."

Loki narrowed his gaze, "Of course I understand, mortal." His voice rasped curtly. Not quite the menace he was going for. 

Darcy was slightly taken aback, "Sheesh, alright. Let me, uh, get you a drink of water..." She shuffled over into the adjoining room around the corner. 

Loki reached up and rubbed at his temples. Of course the most chatty being in all of Midgard had found him. He attempted to sit up straighter in his seat, resulting white hot pain. Cursing sharply, he sagged into the couch.

 

* * *

 

Darcy took her time getting him a glass of water to collect herself.  _ ‘It hadn't been dream then.’ _ Darcy had really rescued some ridiculously good looking alien. She had done everything to not gawk at his shirtless body.  _ ‘Ok, priorities.’ _ She had no idea who this was and now might be the time to consider making contact with SHIELD. The only problem with that, was the fact they were SHIELD and they would put her entire being and life under investigation.

Hearing his curse in the other room, she appeared with the water. "Hey, just keep still or you'll tear your stitches and we don't need to go through that again. Here." She held the glass of water out to him

The god eyed the drink suspiciously as he cautiously accepted. If she wanted him dead, he probably wouldn't be here. Raising the glass to his lips, he gulped the water down. No traces of poison that he could tell of. 

Mild annoyance rose in Darcy as he didn't thank her. For anything. She tried to mentally assure herself that his brain was still rattled. "I'm gonna bet you're pretty damn hungry. Uh, I don't have a whole lot here, but I'll try to fix something up." Before Loki could reply, she was back in the kitchen. There was a loud crash of a metal pot falling, causing him to wince sharply from the throbbing in his head. "S-sorry!" Darcy called out. Her mind was racing. What the heck was she supposed to do? Nursing some alien foreigner could not end well for her. She took a deep breath,  _ ‘one step at a time. Let's make sure he isn't going to die right away under my watch and get him fed.’ _ A dead alien would probably look worse. Probably being the operative word. 

Moments later she popped back into the living room, "Alright, I've got the water boiling." She looked down at his side, "I should probably take a look at your wound there and change the bandage." Loki's jaw visibly tightened. "Listen, grumpy, its either I look at it or your ass catches infection and dies. On my couch."

His mouth fell open slightly in utter shock at how she spoke to him. Never in his entire... She was already down beside him, peeling back the blanket further to get a look at the bandage. "Yep, this definitely needs to be changed and cleaned up." Cleaning her hands with rubbing alcohol, Darcy got right to it. "Geeze, this is healing faster than expected. I'm betting that's an Asgardian thing, right?" Discarding the soiled bandage, she cleaned the stitched wound and applied a fresh bandage. Loki remained quiet the whole time, watching her carefully. Clearing her throat, Darcy stood up, "I'm just gonna go and clean up and get food ready." Brain was definitely not thinking straight in close proximity to the pretty alien.

Relishing in the quiet, Loki took further notice of the girl's home, noticing a lack of any indication of family, friends or lovers. From where he was laid up, he couldn't see any additional bedrooms, indicating that she likely lived alone. He could make this work to his advantage. 

Not 15 minutes later, Darcy brought in two large steaming bowls, setting one down on the coffee table before Loki. Taking a seat herself, she set down the proper utensils, "Behold, a human delicacy known as ramen!" She immediately began digging into the food. 

Leaning forward, Loki inspected the contents of the bowl and a look of disgust marred his features, "What is  _ that _ ?" 

Darcy slurrped her forkful quickly before replying, "Noodles! Don't you have noodles on Asgard?"

He moved slowly in his seat to pick up the fork and poke at what she called food, "No." He replied simply. He was obviously repulsed. 

"Well, until I go grocery shopping, that's it. I don't exactly entertain much, so food around here is kept pretty cheap and simple. Good ol’ bachelorette life up in here." He noticed a faint change in her tone, indicating of loneliness.

He continued to prod the noodles, taking a quick glance at how she ate them, he slowly twirled the fork. "You have no companions then?"

There was a pause before Darcy answered, "Not really. Jane and Erik, um scientists I'd interned for, got pulled away elsewhere. They asked me to hold the fort and keep recording out here. Puente Antiguo isn't exactly the biggest social hub either. That whole middle of nowhere thing." Her eyes rolled at that last bit as she noisily slurrped up another mouthful of noodles.

This just kept getting better for Loki. Although he recognized the name Jane from somewhere. He pressed on, "No family?"

Darcy shifted uncomfortably in her seat, taking another mouthful of noodles, "No family." She needed to find out more about this guy. "Do...Do you know Thor?" She watched as he became completely still, his grip on the fork tightening. A cold dread pooled in Darcy's stomach. That hadn't been the reaction she was hoping for. 

"You could say that I'm quite familiar with him, mortal." His tone was cool and chipped, sending the hairs on the back of Darcy’s neck straight up.

She licked her lips nervously, unsure that she really wanted to know the answer to her next question, "Oh. And who are you exactly?"

His lips pulled into a smirk as he looked Darcy straight in the eye, "I'm Loki of Asgard, God of Lies and Mischief." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the shorter chapter, but the next several will be significantly longer! Happy reading :)


	4. Chapter 4

Darcy's fork fell to the floor with a clatter as she sat there, her mind reeling at this new piece of information. This is quite possibly one of the worst things to happen. No, this was definitely  _ the _ worst outcome that could happen. Of all the Asagardians that could plummet to earth, it had to be him. Loki on the other hand looked fully pleased with himself that she knew his name and the weight it carried. He watched as the color had drained from her face and she recoiled away from him, deep into her chair. 

"You know who I am then. Good." Despite his current state, he seemed to sit up a bit straighter on the couch. A smug smile pulled on his lips as he brought a forkful of the noodles to his lips, although there was a slight twitch in his left eye, as the food repulsed him. 

"No shit, you almost blew half this town into oblivion and me with it, asshole!" Darcy snapped. She needed to do something. Call SHIELD, grab her taser, anything. All she could think about was the monster from her nightmares and how he had been behind it all. Of course she had invited him into her home and taken care of him. Of course! This was a whole new level of classic Darcy blunder. Suddenly she wasn't all that hungry anymore. 

Pushing around the food in her bowl, Darcy avoided Loki's gaze. 

Something clicked in Loki's mind as it was all slowly coming together. Setting his bowl aside, he leaned forward in his seat with a tight smirk, "Ah, that's right. You're one of Thor's little friends. My, this  _ is _ interesting." The ball was in his court now and he was relishing in it. This mortal was terrified of him. This was only one of the mortals though and definitely not Thor's lover.

The tension in the room came to an abrupt halt as Darcy's cell began to ring, playing Weird Science by Oingo Boingo. Jane's picture appeared on the screen. Talk about impeccable timing.  _ Horrible _ impeccable timing. Loki leaned forward and caught sight, recognizing the name that appeared with the picture, "Answer it." He command curtly. 

Darcy reached forward and brought the cell up to her ear, "Jane?" Her mind raced. Did she try to tell Jane that she had accidentally invited Thor's psycho brother into her apartment? No. She couldn't let him near Jane. Loki narrowed his eyes on Darcy, seeming to pick up the thought that went through her head. Darcy quickly put the phone on speaker.

"Darcy, is everything okay? We were supposed to Skype when you got home and you never forget. I figured you must have been tired or something, but it's been hours now... I also haven't received your readings from last night..." That's right.  Jane. Hearing her voice was at the same time a huge relief and brought on a whole new level of anxiety, as Loki now knew they were close.

Swallowing hard, Darcy tried to keep cool. "Oh, right! My bad. You're right, I was really tired last night and passed out as soon as I got home. I'm so sorry, Jane. Do you think we can reschedule? I, um, I can get those readings to you, ASAP." Darcy cut her off. On one hand, she desperately wanted Jane here. She would have some idea of what to do. On the other hand, she needed to keep Jane as far away from Loki as possible. She wasn’t an idiot in what Jane’s relationship to Thor meant to Loki.

"Thanks, Darcy. I really appreciate it..." There was a pause. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't sound so great. Are you sure you don't want to hang out for a bit? I have time." 

Loki's gaze darkened. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just...tired." Darcy’s voice trailed off as she tried to hold herself together. 

"Darce, why don't you come out for a visit sometime? I get the feeling nothing is going to change any time soon with those readings anyways... I miss you. We could go out on a girl's night, maybe bake up some up of your famous chocolate chip cookies... I know I could sure use one. I’m… I’m not exactly really close with anyone other than Erik here you know." The scientist sounded as tired and lonesome as she did.  _ ‘Jane, sweet Jane, please stop talking. Stop giving him more ammo.’ _

Clenching her eyes closed tightly Darcy took a breath. "I miss you too, Jane. I'll get that report sent out to you. And we'll have a hangout session soon, kay?"

"Okay...Why don't you take tonight off. Get some rest." She heard someone in the background, "Erik says hi and that he misses you too!" 

Tears stung Darcy's eyes. Despite the hurt she carried in her friends having to leave, she missed them terribly. They had become their own little dysfunctional family. What she would give to have them here now. "Tell him that I say hi and miss him too. And, thanks, Jane. I'll do that."

"Alright. Love you, Darce."

"Love you too, Jane." She hung up and looked up at Loki. She wanted to smack that pleased smirk off of his face.

"No companions indeed. You are close to Thor's wench." 

_ ‘Oh no he didn’t!’ _ Darcy shot forward in her seat instantly as hot anger flared, "Don't you dare call Jane that, asshole!" The empty threat tumbled past her lips. Irritation flared in Loki's features but he said nothing. He now had the leverage he needed over her. Either she cooperated with him or he would go after Jane. Darcy exhaled and sat back, "What do you want anyways?"

"Right to the point. I like that. All I want, is your full cooperation, mortal. My descent to Midgard has left me exceptionally worn and I need time to regain my strength. Aid me and I'll allow you and your friends to live."

Darcy snorted, "Doubtful, but I don't have much choice in the matter do I?" She had time though. He didn’t know where Jane or Erik was and it needed to stay that way. She just needed to figure out what to do in the meantime. 

He gave her a cruel smile, "I'm glad you see it my way." He carefully rose from the couch, drawing himself to his full, towering height with a wince. The blanket that had been draped over his shoulders fell to the floor, giving Darcy full view of his chiseled form. Looking down upon Darcy as if she were a mere insect, his voice took upon a commanding tone, "Where is your bathing room?"

Looking up at the god, she didn't remember him being  _ that _ tall.  _ ‘Stupid hot viking aliens.’ _ Darcy pointed towards the door beside her room. Without another word, he strode inside and shut the door, presumably to get himself cleaned up. 

Darcy slipped her glasses off as hot tears rolled down her cheeks and everything crashed down on her, "Darce, you fucking idiot. What've you done?" Sniffling loudly, she retreated to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Slipping into her bed, she prayed this was all just some awful nightmare and began to cry. She had to figure something out before Loki regained the full use of his powers. He would be watching her like a hawk though. If she made any contact for help, he'd surely do something awful. SHIELD had been no match for the god before and Thor had no way to get to Earth and take care of his brother.

There was an inkling of satisfaction as she heard curses coming from the bathroom as the god tried to figure out how to the run the bath. It was the little things. Eventually the groan of the pipes came as he soon figured it out. 

Rolling onto her back, Darcy stared at the ceiling. Pressing her palms into her forehead, she sighed.  _ 'How the fuck am I gonna handle an alien god from Norse mythology?' _ She would need to find out as much as she could about him, which wasn't going to be easy. She wasn't sure what exactly his agenda was, but it couldn’t be good. At his reaction to her mention of Thor, she was sure his plans would somehow involve the god of thunder and hurting him in any capacity. 

Sliding off her bed, she padded over to her desk and opened her laptop. She needed to calm down and clear her head. Browsing through her usual sites, she came across a recent picture of Ironman flying through the sky. There had to be more Super-like people like him and Thor out there. She heard the bathroom door open and Loki emerge. Darcy slammed her laptop shut as he barged through into her room.

"Mortal, I require real sustenance. Not that tasteless mush you tried to feed me." He stood before her, clad only in his leather trousers and his raven hair damp and dripping onto his bare shoulders. He was clearly struggling with keeping up this mighty Loki facade due his still healing injuries as he placed a heavy hand against the door frame. 

Darcy averted her eyes, blushing, "Okay, first, we need to get you some real clothes. Second, its Darcy Lewis. No more of this referring to me as 'mortal' crap!" 

She could see the muscle twitch in his jaw, "I also require a proper place for resting." He eyed her plush bed. 

"Oh hell no! Your ass is not touching that bed. The couch in the living room pulls out into a bed. That is where you can get your beauty rest." Darcy stood from her chair and poked a finger in his bare chest. Holy crap was it ever solid. "This whole routine might've worked back home for you, but I've got news for you, pal: Darcy Lewis is no one's bitch." Her heart was hammering in her chest. It had all sort of tumbled out of her mouth before she could think it through. She had a knack for that. 

Looking down his nose at her, Loki's face had turned a shade of crimson and the muscle in his jaw, twitched even more. "You insolent girl! Had I known what bumbling pest you would be, I would have insisted on taking my chances alone in that desert!" 

"You and me both, Starman!" Darcy pushed past him to retrieve her bag.

"And just where do you think you're going?" He demanded.

"Well you require 'sustenance' and I'm sure as hell not gonna stuck be staring at your half naked bod. I'm going out shopping!" Without another word, Darcy turned on her heel and marched out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. _ 'What a freaking asshole!' _

 

Darcy took her sweet time as she perused the only real general store in town. She made sure to get only the most simplistic of goods. His Asgardian ass could get used to spam and beans for all she cared. Thankfully they also had a tiny section for basic clothing. Eying the clothing, she ran a hand over her face. 

"Oh my god, I'm buying an alien's underpants." She couldn't help as her lips twitched into a smile at the absurd thought before grabbing what she thought he would fit into.  _ ‘Yeah, a delicious looking alien’s underpants.’  _ Darcy couldn’t help it as his half nude image resurfaced in her mind and she quickly moved along, banishing such thoughts. Next was a pair of cheap dark wash jeans and t-shirts with only the dumbest of sayings on them. Thankfully the purchases didn't destroy her budget too much. 

 

Darcy was thankful that apartment complex looked to still be in one piece as she pulled up in the van. Determined to not make multiple trips, she loaded her arms up with the bags and made her way inside. Stepping into her apartment, she was immediately met with ire.

"That took you long enough!" Loki’s annoyed tone carried from the living room. 

Huffing, Darcy dropped the groceries and walked through the kitchen and into the living room where Loki sat, reading a book. She flung the bag full of his necessities at him, "Here, you ungrateful jerk! Now go put some clothes on!"

Catching the bag with a grunt, he quirked a brow at her and snapped the book shut. Rising from his seat he had a mischievous glint in his eye, "As you wish." Setting the bag aside, his hands trailed down to undo his trousers. Her reaction to him earlier had not gone unnoticed.

Darcy let out a strangled yelp and turned her back to him, "In the bathroom, you pervert!" She could feel his amused grin. Once more, he had gotten under her skin. 

Darcy heard the door close and she got to pulling out the bed quickly and making it up. If the apartment had been cramped before, it was downright packed now as the unfolded couch took up most of the room with barely enough room to skirt past to the kitchen. Just as she finished pulling a blanket over the bed, he came out of the bathroom wearing a very disgruntled look. "Just what sort of peasant garments are these? What is this ‘Team Twerk’?"

While Darcy wanted to chew him out for the peasant comment, she couldn't help but smirk at the black shirt with big white writing that read 'Team Twerk'. "It's a respected clothing line here on Earth, Starman. And that's what was in my budget." The god grumbled something about regaining his powers as Darcy went into the kitchen and began to unpack the groceries. 

The rest of the evening continued on fairly quietly. Loki was content to keep to himself as he read through her little library or turned the tv on to flip through the channels. Seemed like someone learned a new trick while she had been out. 

Lucky for Darcy, she was able to find an old series of  readings that could easily pass as any other sort of quiet night and send it off to Jane. 

Currently, Darcy was completely engrossed in an article with Tony Stark and his future plans for Stark Industries and Ironman. She was almost tempted to reach out to someone like him, but what would he actually be able to do? SHIELD sure as heck wouldn't be able to do much against a god of Mischief and Lies last time. They had been near useless compared to Thor and his Asgardian warrior friends. A heavy weight settled in her stomach at the thought of innocent agents throwing their lives away in such an attempt again. Glancing to her closed bedroom door, she could tell Loki was still up and about, judging by the light that was on. She needed to start working on some sort of plan and quickly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if there any mistakes in my writing! It's just me working on this and I wanted to get another chapter out :)


	5. Chapter 5

Darcy groaned softly as she rolled over in bed, taking half the covers as she sprawled out and squinted against the few rays of sunlight the peeked beyond her dark curtains. ‘Fuck. Now my sleep schedule is all off.’ Reaching over for her glasses, Darcy pawed around her nightstand clumsily, accidently knocking them off with a clatter to the floor. “Ugh!” The young woman went still and simply stayed laid out. It was too early for this. 

There came a heavy knocking to her door, “Mortal! I can hear you have finally woken from your death like slumber! It is far too late to break our fast and nearly midday!”

And it was always too early to wake up to  _ that _ . What a jerk. Sitting up in bed, Darcy rubbed at her eyes and yawned loudly. She wasn’t going to rush. Unfortunately for her, Loki had other plans as he impatiently opened the door, “I cannot believe that midgardians--” He stopped mid-rant as his eyes fell to her body. Darcy was only clad in a thin tank and underwear for sleepwear as she sat on her bed with the covers all around her.

With a screech Darcy pulled up the covers to cover her form, “Get out! What, do you not knock in  **_Assguard_ ** or is that just too below you!?”

Loki blinked several times as he remained where he stood and recovered from the eyeful of Darcy’s form, “Well if you didn’t sleep well past what would be considered a normal time to arise, I would not have to barge into your chambers!”

Darcy’s eyes narrowed as her fist tightened on her grip on the blanket covering her, “You know, I’m starting to think the only thing royal about you is being a  _ royal pain in the ass _ !”

She watched as his mouth formed into a tight line. Clearly he hadn’t been expecting someone like Darcy and found himself at a loss. “Just get up already, mortal!” With that, he hobbled out and slammed the door behind him. 

Flopping over, Darcy buried her face into a pillow and let out a frustrated muffled yell into it.

On the other side of the door, Loki leaned back against it and let out a long pained exhale. That hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but he had little in the way of patience as he was stuck on this planet and without his magic. Hearing Darcy’s muffled cry of annoyance, Loki couldn’t help but think of her deliciously curvy form that had previously been so covered up in layers of her midgardian clothing. Giving a his had a light shake, he slowly made his way back to the sofa bed and sat down, flipping through channels,as he had already been doing that morning. 

_ “Tony Stark of Stark Industries, also known as Ironman, was seen yesterday leaving Stark Tower in New York as production began for a greener source of energy…” _

Loki’s eyes narrowed as the news footage showed a strange man in iron flying through the sky at an incredible speed over a city skyline. As he watched the news piece, Darcy slipped out of her bedroom, her arms laden with clothes and a towel as tried to make a beeline for the bathroom.

“Who is this Tony Stark?”

Darcy stopped dead in her tracks and looked over to the tv. He was bound to find out sooner or later anyways. “Uh, well, he’s this gazillionaire genius who made this crazy suit of armor and does stuff…” She finished lamely, to which the god turned his head and quirked a dark brow, insinuating for further clarification. Rolling her eyes, Darcy huffed, “He’s super rich and powerful here.”

“A protector of a Midgard?”

“I guess you could say that. Depends who you ask really.” With a shrug of her shoulders, she continued to the bathroom, making a point to lock it behind her.

Eventually Darcy re-emerged from the bathroom fully refreshed and better prepared to deal with Loki. “Since you’ve made it clear you’re so hungry, we’ll go hit up the diner.” Strolling past the god, Darcy decided to throw a nice barb out there, “Thor seemed to like it well enough when he was here.” She could almost feel him bristle behind her as she picked up her bag and headed to the door, “C’mon! I thought his royal highness was famished?” 

Without a word, Loki got up and followed Darcy out. While it was only a short drive to the diner, she opted on driving, as she doubted Loki could make much of a walk still in his current state. Though he did look a great deal better than yesterday. She tried to not linger on that thought and pulled up to the tiny diner. She could tell right away that the prince was less than impressed with the eatery judging by the way he nearly sneered. Entering the eatery, the door jingled as they entered. Thankfully it was fairly quiet that morning, with only the odd spot filled with a patron.

An older woman with frizzy bottle blonde hair gave a bright smile and gave a wave to them, the bangles around her wrist tinkling with the motion, “Darcy! Haven’t seen you in ages! And you’ve brought a friend. Take a seat wherever, kids! I’ll be right there!”

Just as Loki was about to open his mouth with an indignant reply to her referring to them as kids, Darcy yanked him towards a booth in the far corner of the diner. “That’s Rosa. Just be nice, alright?” She shot him and quick glare as the woman eagerly approached their booth.

“Sweetie, it’s been awhile! How are you? How are Dr. Selvig and Dr. Foster? I don’t see them here, that must mean they’re still in the big city. Goodness, talk about a big break for them in that sponsorship, right?” The woman spoke a mile a minute as she placed laminate menus before the two, “Let’s just hope they don’t forget about his little people. I mean, it’s about time they came and visited, it can’t be all that excitin’ for you here all by your lonesome. Cup of coffee?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she began pouring two cups of steaming coffee, “I see you brought this boy along with ya today.” She gave a not so sly wink at Darcy, “This ain’t gonna be like that time you brought that big hunky blonde one though?” She eyed Loki suspiciously, who in return only stared in annoyance and mild awe at this strange woman. Rosa took no notice though and only giggled, “Dr.Foster was all doe-eyed and blushin’ over that fella. Anyways! Take a gander and if you got any questions, I’ll be right back!”

Loki peered at Darcy and hissed, “I thought we had come here to dine, not experience some form of Midgardian torture!”

Darcy couldn’t help but let out a short snort of laughter, “Chill out.” She picked up the menu and began to peruse her options.

Letting out a slow exhale, Loki plucked the plastic menu up from the table. Reading over the contents for several moments, his brows furrowed some as he tried to make sense of it. With a huff of frustration he tossed it back down, “I know not what any of these midgardian dishes are.”

Rolling her eyes Darcy set her menu down as well, “I’ll order you something, Starman. No need to get so worked up about it.”

Before Loki could retort, Rosa was back with a pad of paper, “We all decided?”

With a bob of her head Darcy began to give their orders, “Yeah, I’ll have the five stack pancake breakfast with extra maple syrup. And he’ll have the farmer’s rise n’ shine breakfast with extra bacon and multigrain toast.”

“Goodness, you better have an appetite, sweetie!” Rosa smiled at Loki as she picked up the menus and popped off to put the orders in.

“You ordered me some peasant workers food?” He sounded none too impressed.

“Oh my gosh. Just wait and see, alright?” She picked up her coffee and took a long swig.

Eyeing his own cup of coffee, Loki tentatively wrapped a hand around the mug and took a sip. With pause, he took a moment to let the foreign beverage wash over his tongue. “...This is a most acceptable beverage.”

Smirking over her own cup Darcy recalled Thor’s reaction to the beverage, “Yeah, another certain Asgardian thought as much too.”

Loki stilled at that, the thought of Thor also enjoying coffee annoying him but he continued on with it anyways.

“Just...don’t throw mug down on the floor and demand another.”

He rolled his eyes, “I am not some ill-mannered barbarian like him.”'

_ 'Debatable.’ _ Darcy noted mentally as they sipped on their beverages in silence. She was determined to look anywhere but at Loki and turned her gaze over to the large diner windows that faced the main street. She couldn’t help as her mind began to wander back to that day of the attack, the giant Asgardian weapon lumbering down the streets and blasting everything. The diner had made out with only a few broken windows, but other surrounding businesses had taken quite the hit. She could still hear the panicked screams of the residents and heavy footfalls.

“Here we go!” Darcy nearly lept out of her skin as Rosa announced herself loudly and slid the the meals in front of the two.

Across the table, Darcy’s reaction had not gone unnoticed by Loki but he let it pass, as there was finally sustenance in front of him. Piled on the large plate were a few variations of meat, a pile of cooked eggs, something cubed and toast. It smelled delicious.

As Rosa left the table, Darcy decided to fill Loki in on what he was staring at, “Alright, you’ve got ham, bacon and sausages there, they’re all meat. That is scrambled eggs and those are are hash browns, uh, fried potatoes.” Seeming satisfied with her explanation of the food, Loki began to dig in right away. Thankfully he did have better manners than Thor.

“Why do you not cook food like this?” Loki asked between a bite of food.

The young woman narrowed her eyes and began cutting into her stack of pancakes, “Because I’m not your fucking personal maid. I’m already giving you somewhere to sleep. My patience and kindness ends there for rude aliens.” And then the two were back to silence as they ate.

Near the end of their meal, Darcy couldn’t help but want more answers by this point. She was getting tired of being in the dark. “So, how did you get here exactly? Where’s Thor?”

Loki finished his last bite with a clatter of his fork and regarded her with a dark look, “What does it matter to you?”

“Because I want some fucking answers!” Darcy took a moment to reign herself in as her voice grew louder. “How is it you traveled here and yet Thor hasn’t?”

“I did not exactly intend to travel here.”

She knew she was on thin ice by the tone of Loki’s voice, but she pressed on. “What does that even mean? Don’t you guys take that bridge thing?”

“The bifrost was destroyed.”

“What?”

“Thor destroyed it.”

“Why!?”

“Because of me.”

Darcy slammed a hand down on the table out of frustration, “Jane is waiting for him! She’s trying to find that stupid bridge-wormhole to bring him back!”

“Well the foolish woman is wasting her time then.” Darcy hadn’t even flinched at the fact the bridge had been destroyed because of Loki. Her sole focus was on Jane.

Darcy abruptly stood up from her seat and placed her hands on the table as she leaned forward, “Do not call Jane foolish. She is anything but that. And if anyone is gonna find a way to him, it’ll be her!” Darcy shuffled out of the booth and went to the counter to pay for their meals before going outside.

Loki watched and heaved a sigh as she left.

“I don’t know what that tiff was about, but I sure hope you go on after her.” Loki startled as Rosa appeared beside the table, hands on her hips. “She’s a real sweetie with a big heart who is so lonely. Can’t tell ya how many times she’s come in here by her lonesome after the other two left.”

Without a reply, Loki slid out of the booth and made his way out. He wasn’t very keen on trying to find his way back to the apartment in his current condition anyways. He spotted Darcy sitting in the van and made his way over, sliding into the passenger seat.

“How did you get here, Loki?” Her voice was low and she stared at intently at the steering wheel.

“I fell.” He answered hollowly.

There was a beat pause of silence before Darcy turned the car on and began to pull out of the parking space and drive them back to the apartment. She said nothing as they drove and nothing as they got back and she slammed the door shut to her bedroom and locked it behind her.

Too many emotions coursed through Darcy to be around Loki at the moment. Her heart broke for Jane. She had meant what she’d said about her being the one to find a way, but Darcy had no clue how that could happen now. Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, Darcy fell back on her bed. She was also so furious with Loki being the cause of the bridge’s destruction. Of course he had been. But she also felt sadness. When he had answered how’d gotten here, the emptiness in his tone caught her attention. Something more had happened.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the super late chapter, but my new job has been keeping me super busy! I'll try to keep chapters longer if there's a bigger gap between updates. Cheers!


	6. Chapter 6

Once more Loki was confined to the small cluttered living room while Darcy locked herself away in her chambers. While it gave him time to contemplate and plan, he was beginning to get restless. Hopefully a good sign of his recovering. Closing his eyes, Loki began a deep meditation, something he’d been making a consistent habit of in hopes of regaining his magical abilities all the more quickly. He took in a sharp breath as tendrils of familiar cool unrelenting darkness began to creep into his psyche.

  _‘Pitiful. You still regenerate and have not regained your powers.’_ A gnarled voice snarled within Loki’s mind.

 There was a heavy pressure on Loki’s chest and his brows furrowed, _‘I was unmade and sent to Midgard broken. I was not left with many options.’_

  _Tch. You know nothing, Asgardian. Regain yourself and find the tesseract!’_ The voice snapped and there was sharp pain in Loki’s head.

 Eyes snapping open, Loki clutched his head and slumped sideways on his bed, breathing heavily. He needed his magic back and quickly. Chest tightening at the thought of what would happen if the plan didn’t follow through, Loki took several deep breaths. Failure wasn’t an option.

  
The rest of the day passed into evening as Darcy spent the majority of her day on her laptop. “Argh! Stupid SHIELD and being a stupid secret organization!” She threw hands up in the air, “Who the fuck am I supposed to even contact in case of emergency!? No hotline, website, twitter…” She was beyond exasperated at this point in trying to find some sort of help. The last thing she wanted to do is drag Jane into her mess and endanger her. Looking at the time, she sighed and knew it was time to start getting ready for work, despite her sleep schedule being all sorts of off now. Getting changed into something a bit warmer and grabbing what was necessary, she mentally prepared herself to go beyond her bedroom door.

 Stepping out, she saw Loki on his bed looking more on the pale side with a sheen of sweat. “Do I even wanna know what you’ve been doing out here?” He merely gave her a tired look and straightened up. This gave her pause at his lack of verbal rebuttal. Lowering her defenses some, Darcy continued, “So, I gotta jet out to work here soon for the night. And, well, I’m not super keen on leaving you here alone…”

 Loki quirked a brow, “Are you afraid I will destroy your dwelling? Perhaps it would improve it.”

 _'Ignoring that...'_ “Maybe a bit...But I’m more concerned that you’re still on the mend and you don’t look so great right now.”

 “I have suffered worse. Spare me your pity.”

 Darcy huffed, “I’m not pitying you, jerk! I’m trying to be nice and you’re not making it easy. So get your shit together and lets go!” She quickly shuffled away to the kitchen, making sure he didn’t get a word in. Muttering to herself, she grabbed various foods, stuffing them in a bag and turned the coffee maker on.

 “You would do best to show more respect, little mortal.” Darcy nearly jumped out of her skin as Loki was suddenly behind her, pulled up to his full height over her form.

 Flattening her back against the kitchen counter, Darcy narrowed her eyes, “Take your own advice.”

 A dark chuckle rumbled from him as took one step closer, leaving very little room between the two of them, “Such a sharp tongue on such a small, weak creature.” Darcy swallowed hard, unable to find any retort as he drew in close. His bright green eyes glittered mischievously, causing a sharp drop in her stomach. Lifting a hand up, Loki trailed a finger down the side of her face, causing her to involuntarily shudder, “There it is. It seems you do know better.” Her reaction to him, brought the Asgardian a great sense of pride, knowing he had not lost his touch, but he wasn’t quite finished yet. Lowering his face down, he watched as color crept into her cheeks and she moistened her lips. With a smirk he whispered into her ear, “Get your shit together and lets go.” Without another word he turned on his heel and left her there, looking entirely pleased with himself.

 Darcy’s mind has blank for a moment or two as she stood there, her mind still reeling from the tension. It hit her like a tonne of bricks as her mind slowed down and she processed her thoughts. Tears pricked her eyes and Darcy blinked furiously, determined not to shed any. In just seconds he had made her feel so small and powerless, reminding her of her position in all of this. She loathed that feeling. Pouring the now finished coffee into a thermos, she stuffed it into her bag. Heaving the bag over her shoulder, she made for the door, brushing past Loki who stood there waiting for her, wearing that arrogant smirk.

 They didn’t exchange any more pleasantries as Darcy went about locking up and heading down to the van. Climbing in, she opened a rough looking notebook and ran her finger down a series of previous coordinates. Calculating the night’s hot spot, she brought the engine to life and drove out into the darkness of the desert, with one alien prince in the passenger seat.

 

Several days of routine went on like this with the two moving around one another in an awkward, silent dance. She would retreat to her room more often than not and leave Loki alone, making sure no words needed to pass between them. On one particular late afternoon, Darcy and Jane had finally gotten the chance to Skype.

 It started as a familiar conversation, greeting one another before giving each other little life updates, to which Darcy of course didn’t mention Loki. There wasn’t much to report from either one.

 Darcy stared at Jane’s image on the computer. The scientist looked tired and worn out. Her eyes had lost that bright, sparkling curiosity.

 “I’m just not sure what I’m missing, Darce. I keep going over these formulas and I just keep hitting a wall.” Jane ran a hand through her tresses. “Why hasn’t he come back?” She asked in a small voice.

 Darcy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. All she wanted to do was tell Jane everything. The bridge being broken. Loki being here. Thor probably never coming back. She forced a reassuring smile, “I dunno Jane. I think...there’s a lot we don’t know about Thor and Asgard and whatever happened after the attack.”

 “Yeah… Do you think he’s still alive?”

 “What? Of course he his, Jane! Did you see the dude’s muscles? And that lightning craziness? I’m sure he’s fine. Just...keep trying. You’ll crack this.”

 Jane’s lips twitched ever so slightly and she nodded, not entirely convinced. “About our last conversation, you should really come out and visit. I was serious about that.”

 Tucking a strand back, Darcy nodded, “Yeah, well, uh, send me some dates and we’ll start coordinating. Sound good?”

 “Sounds great.” Jane actually smiled now, “I’ll get you those dates, Darce.” Her eyes flickered down, “Oh, you should probably get going?”

 Darcy looked at the time, “Yeah! Right, I’ll head out. Love you, Jane!”

 “Love you too!” Darcy ended the Skype session, closing her laptop before tucking it into her bag. Time for another night of silence and avoidance. Joy of joys.

 The evening proceeded as business as usual, per the rest of the week. Driving in silence. Setting up the technology in silence. Darcy dragged a chair out to sit on outside the van while Loki proceeded to sit in the passenger seat and focus his mind.

 Slumped down in the seat with a blanket wrapped around her, Darcy gazed up at the great depths of the night sky. It was the perfect night for it and she needed some sort of distraction. These readings she continued for Jane seemed so pointless now and it made her feel horrible. Nothing was going to happen now.

 “You enjoy looking at the stars.” Loki’s voice carried quietly from behind her.

 Darcy blinked a few times out of surprise, “Jesus, you’re a ninja or something...But, uh, yeah I do actually. Jane and Erik really gave me an appreciation for it. I’m not super great at remembering all the constellations though.”

 Loki stared down at the woman all nestled in her chair and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He’d had it with this vow of silence between them and wanted to occupy his time with something other than meditation. “I see. I have spent much time studying them as well.” His gaze flickered up. He recognized much from his previous visits to Midgard many years ago.

 Clenching her eyes shut, Darcy couldn’t believe she was about to say what came out next. “You’re welcome to join me...There’s another folding chair in the back of the van.” She waited for a snappy reply. It never came. She heard his footsteps retreating back to the van and for a moment she’d thought he’d gone back to the passenger seat. Instead, he’d brought the chair up near her own and unfolded. Darcy watched curiously as he slowly sunk down into the old thing and nearly giggled at how much he dwarfed it. He clearly noticed this too and tried to adjust himself as comfortably as possible, causing it to creak and groan.

 “So…” Darcy prodded, “What do you see up there tonight?”

 Glancing at Darcy briefly, Loki tilted his head up ever so slightly as his eyes began to scan the stars. “Orion is rather visible tonight, if you just look up slightly higher. See there, the three bright stars in a row of his belt...”

 Craning her head back, Darcy peered up, “I don’t see it…”

 “Well of course not. I said look up slightly and you whip your head back. Lower your chin down.” He instructed with irritation. He watched as Darcy only lowered it an inch. “No, lower.” And several inches lower and too low now. Jerking his chair to beside her own, he lifted his arm up, pointing. “Follow where my finger is pointing. There.”

 His sudden closeness nearly caused Darcy to reel away but she held her own and followed his instruction. Her eyes trailed up his long pale finger. “Oh!” She broke out into a smile, “I see it now!”

 Loki watched her smile brightly as she observed the constellation, her eyes sparkling with wonder. He felt himself unwind a fraction and move his finger slowly to the left. “Follow my finger… That there is the Pleiades cluster or known as the seven sisters cluster from your Greek mythology.”

 Squinting only a moment, Darcy followed and smiled as she listened to his low, rich tones talking about the cluster.

 The pair continued on through the night, with Loki guiding Darcy through various constellations and their stories. She drank in every word, listening intently and asking questions. Finding a common ground, defenses weakened and every so often Darcy would let out a laugh and Loki would crack the faintest of smirks. He found an odd delight hearing her laugh and the strange urge to hear it more. As the sky began to lighten, they fell into a comfortable silence, watching the sun rise over the vast desert.

 Loki was about to remark to Darcy on how it was probably time to go but saw her curled up in the chair, fast asleep with the sun’s first rays illuminating her soft features. He sat still and simply watched as she breathed in and out deeply. He didn’t deserve the kindness she’d shown him that night or any of it. Tempering the dull ache in his chest, Loki rose out of his chair, quietly folding it up and placing it back in the van.

 He approached Darcy’s slumbering form, conflicted on what he should do next. The bags beneath her eyes suggested she needed the sleep, but it would soon be warming up considerably. Weighing out his options, the god of Mischief and Lies came to a decision.

 

* * *

 

 With a groan, Darcy rolled over in her bed. Laying there, her brain very slowly began to wake up and ask questions. How did she get home? How did she even get into bed? Bolting up straight, she looked down and with a sigh of relief realized she was still in her clothes from the evening prior. But her boots had been taken off...and she had been tucked in. Snapping her gaze to her closed bedroom door Darcy’s mind began to whirl. Throwing back the covers, she shuffled forward and popped her head out.

 On the couch, Loki sat with one leg crossed over the other with a book in hand, reading. Slipping out of her room fully, Darcy cleared her throat quietly.

 Without looking up, Loki acknowledged her, “Good morning. Or should I say, good afternoon.”

 She stood there rather dumbfounded. Darcy moved to stand in front of Loki, “So, am I having a total moment here or did you…?”

 He still didn’t look up. “Bring you home? Indeed, I did.” He turned the page of the book he was reading.

 “Oh.” It then dawned on her that he would have had to have carried her. “Then you would have…”

 “Carried you. Yes.” Another page turned.

 “But you’re --”

 “Recovering. I am not an invalid.” He spoke simply.

 The heat only began to intensify in her cheeks and even the tips of her ears. “Oh. Well… Thank -- Wait. You drove the van? You can drive?”

 “Of course. It is a primitive vehicle and easily mastered by someone like myself.” He snapped the book shut and looked up at her, “Although there is an additional sizable dent in the front.” He cautiously watched for her reaction, almost expecting her to go into a fit.

Darcy groaned and ran a hand over her face as she flopped back into the lumpy lounger behind her, “Well, it could be worse. The van still runs right?” She gave him a pleading look.

“I believe so.” Darcy’s lack of reaction left him wary as he continued to watch her.

Allowing herself to process this information, Darcy sat up and gave Loki a sheepish smile, “Thank you.”

“Pardon?” That was unexpected.

“For bringing me home safely. That was...really nice. Thanks.” Standing up, Darcy wandered into the kitchen and with a gurgle from the machine, started a pot of coffee, leaving the god to ponder what had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments and kudos! I truly appreciate them! 
> 
> No spoilers, but I did see Infinity War and this story is definitely AU from the MCU.


	7. Chapter 7

Taking a breath, Loki braced himself as he dipped down by Darcy’s slumbering form and gently slipped his arms beneath her. Standing up with her in his arms, he let out a low, pained grunt as his healing injuries were aggravated. He stared down at her, almost waiting for Darcy to wake and throw a fit. Taking slow steps towards the van, he carefully slid her into the passenger seat. Nothing from Darcy but a low snore. Loki wasn’t entirely sure to be impressed or disturbed by such a deep slumber, perhaps only rivaled to Odin’s sleep. Packing up the chairs and blanket into the back of the van, Loki soon found himself in the driver’s seat.

He shifted about in the seat, as it was obviously in such a position for someone petite, like Darcy and not for his Asgardian proportions. Needless to say, it was awkward. Picking up the keys, he put them in the ignition as he had seen Darcy do before and turned. As the engine came to life, a satisfied smirk pulled on his lips.

“Hah. Such a primitive mode of transportation.” He muttered. Stepping down on one of pedals, nothing happened. Tilting his neck down, he looked to see two pedals. Rotating his foot to the other pedal, he pressed down slightly and the vehicle lurched forward. Instantly lifting up on the gas pedal, Loki tested the sensitivity of it and then proceeded moving the van forward. Turning the wheel before him, he steered back towards the direction of the town.

The god could hardly believe that he was doing this. Glancing over at Darcy, he could scarcely hear his own words that he had shouted at Thor back on the rainbow bridge.

_ "What happened to you on earth that made you so soft? Don’t tell me it was that woman! Oh, it was! Well, maybe when we’re finished here, I’ll pay her a visit myself!” _

Loki didn’t notice as his hands tightened around the wheel. He couldn’t let himself become distracted, like his brother. He had a mission to carry out, that he had every intention of fulfilling. Schooling his thoughts, Loki suppressed the recent memories and kept driving.

As he approached the town, it took several tries to find the right street that had the apartment. Thankfully it was a rather small town and left little room for getting lost.  Pulling into the usual spot Darcy parked in, Loki was unfortunately coming in a bit faster than he had intended and heard a crunch as the front bumper of the van hit the cement parking marker. With a wince, he let out a long exhale and turned the engine off. He would let Darcy deal with it.

Once more, Loki found himself slipping the sleeping mortal into his arms. Stepping into the building, he cursed quietly, remembering they would have to go up a few flights of stairs to get to her apartment. At a slow, even pace, he began to take it one step at a time. His mind flickered back to when she had first found him and helped his broken form up these stairs not so long ago. How she had managed it, he didn’t know.

Darcy shifted in his arms, causing Loki to still as she nuzzled her face into his chest with a sleepy smile of contentment. Briefly closing his eyes to send a silent curse for whatever cosmic forces had put him into this position, he carried on. Where thoughts of the little mortal began to tease his mind, he quickly struck them down. He wouldn’t think of her smile, her curiosity or her soft, curvaceous form.

_ 'Thank Valhalla.’ _ Loki stood before the apartment door. Through the act of meticulous balancing and shifting Darcy in his arms, he got the keys out and opened the door.

Dodging various objects of the dwelling, he made for her bedroom, desperate to get her out of his arms and thoughts. Stepping past the bedroom threshold, he stood before the bed.  _ ‘Put her in the bed. Walk away.’ _ An angry voice chided him. Loki continued to hold Darcy. He stared down at her, trying to will himself to do it.  _ ‘Don’t be weak like him.’ _ His grasp on her tightened momentarily as he shut his eyes and let out a pained breath.

Sinking down, Loki laid Darcy out gently upon her bed. The loss of her presence and warmth was felt deep within his chest and he straightened back up. Eyeing her form, he noticed she still had her shoes on and felt it necessary to slip them off. After that, he took one step away. Followed by another. And another. He closed her door behind him.

It was then that he realized just how much he ached. The physical strain on his still healing body made itself known and the god fell to his bed in a heap. Taking deep breaths he tried to clear his mind, exercising some form of restraint on his thoughts. He pushed the thoughts of the sleeping  girl in the next room deep into the recesses of his mind. He had a mission. That was his focus.

Loki didn’t stir from his spot on the bed as he drifted off into his own sleep. He didn’t find much in the way of peace there either, as he was drifting into a cold and dark expanse. It went on forever. Fear and panic gripped him. He was back, falling through space and further and further away from Asgard. Aimlessly in the depths of the cosmos, he grew further and further away from the glittering city of gold. His heart began thrum louder and louder in his ears as raw panic began to overtake his person. He was but a speck, lost to time and space. He would become but a distant, insignificant thought and fade away. No mark or victories left.

With a jolt, Loki sat up on his bed, taking big gulps of air. His mind still raced from his dream. Eyes flitting about the apartment, he noticed by the softening hues that had to be well into the afternoon. Smoothing his hair back, Loki stood in attempt to further sate his nerves. What a day this had turned out to be.

He approached one of the shelving units within the room, crammed to the brim with books, trinkets and photos. One of the photos were of Darcy and two other people. A young woman and older man, to which he could only deduce as her companions from before. They looked to be at a some sort of meal together, all of them wearing a large smile. Darcy sat in the middle, looking mildly embarrassed with blush and a cake in front of her, decorated with candles. They all seemed so happy with one another, enjoying simpler times. The thought roused a hint of jealousy within Loki.

Tucked just behind that photo was another. Gingerly, Loki plucked it up and observed. This one was of a slightly younger Darcy with an older woman. The woman was thin, sickly even, with short hair and dull pallor to her skin. Despite such appearances though, she had the same large blue eyes as Darcy and full lips. Most likely her mother. The Darcy in this photo wore a thin, tired smile. Her eyes held no shine or much of anything. Loki quickly put the photo back as it almost felt invasive to look at the longer he did. She never did mention family.

Shaking himself of his thoughts, Loki decided it was time to freshen himself up in the bathing chambers before Darcy woke. Going in and closing the door and began to disrobe and inspect the healing process of his injuries. The bruises were still deep, though weren’t as sensitive as before. And the cut on his side that Darcy had tended to has healing nicely. Twisting the knob of the shower, he knew better now to wait a moment or two for the water to come on and run in order to get hot water. Right about now, all he wanted was a nice deep tub to sink into and soak in until his skin began to pucker. Alas, such luxuries were very far and away.

Stepping under the hot stream of water, Loki let out a quiet groan at how good it felt. He watched the water circle down the drain and mentally willed his previous dream to go down with it. Perhaps the previous evening’s events as well. Once more his mind lingered on Darcy’s soft, sweet smelling form within his arms. It had been so long since he had been able to revel in such closeness with someone. A dull ache throbbed in his chest, longing for more.  With a grimace, Loki’s hand shot out and he flicked the shower to cold.

Finishing his shower, Loki dried off, carefully minded his tender spots still healing and redressed. While refreshed, his mind still felt muddled and it frustrated him to no end. He was Loki, the god of mischief and lies. He was a master in the art of magic and tricks, only one of a disciplined mind and elevated intelligence could ever achieve.

Grabbing a book he had been reading previously, Loki made quick work to tuck his bed back into the couch position and got comfortable. He read the same page several times, unable to absorb any of the words on the page. He wanted to throw the book across the room and unleash raw fury upon the small, cramped dwelling that was slowly closing in on his mind, along with that girl. He had purpose beyond this. Loki wouldn’t fail again.

He heard rustling beyond Darcy’s door. Loki’s thoughts came to a halt and he stared at the book in his hands. The door creaked open and Darcy’s head popped out. Don’t look at her.

“Good morning. Or should I say, good afternoon.”

He could feel her confusion as she cautiously approached him. “So, am I having a total moment here or did you…?”

He still didn’t look up at her. “Bring you home? Indeed, I did.” He turned the page of the book he was very much not reading.

“Oh.” There was a pregnant pause as the gears turned in the sleepy woman’s mind. “Then you would have…”

“Carried you. Yes.” Another unread page turned. He banished his mind to going back to those dangerous thoughts of her in his arms.

“But you’re --”

“Recovering. I am not an invalid.” He spoke simply and to the point.

“Oh. Well… Thank -- Wait. You drove the van? You can drive?” Oh yes.  _ That _ .

“Of course. It is a primitive vehicle and easily mastered by someone like myself.” He snapped the book shut and looked up at her.  Darcy stood there in rumpled clothes of the night before. Her hair was mussed about and framed her pale face in natural waves. Her eyes were still glassy and sleepy. Time to break her out of that reverie. “Although there is an additional sizable dent in the front.” He waited for it. Loki fully expected to her to go into a shrill fury and yell at him.

Instead, she groaned and ran a hand over her face as she flopped back into the lumpy lounger behind her, defying his expectations of her.  “Well, it could be worse. The van still runs right?” She gave him a pleading look.

“I believe so.” Her lack of reaction left him wary as he watched her process the state of the van and seem to deem it as unimportant.  

“Thank you.” Everything in Loki came to a screeching halt and he stared at her. No reaction and thanks?

“Pardon?” The words tumbled past his lips.

“For bringing me home safely. That was...really nice. Thanks.” He watched dumbly as she retreated to the kitchen and started on what sounded like a pot of coffee. How is it that this simple midgardian woman continued to flip his notions of her? He wanted to follow, hot on her heels and demand her explanations of how and why.

There came the loud crash of something falling and followed by Darcy’s colorful cursing, “Fucking fuck-fuck crumpet!” Loki ran a hand over his face and heaved a heavy sigh. A bewildering woman indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice peek at Loki's going-ons from the previous chapter ;)


	8. Chapter 8

A new routine settled in for the pair as time went on. A couple weeks passed and they continued to trek out for Darcy’s work and sit beneath the stars and idly chat. They both purposely stayed away from anything too personal, knowing that once that line was crossed, there was no going back. For now they accepted their roles as amiable roommates. 

On one particular night, they sat out, Darcy having listening to one of Loki’s stories of visiting Earth long ago. Darcy absently ran her thumb over the rim of her tumbler containing coffee and mused quietly, “Our lives must seem so short compared to yours.”

Loki lifted a brow at her and gave a slight nod, “It does, yes.”

“Do...do Asgardians get sick often?” Her voice was still small and inquiring, but edging into something vulnerable. She couldn’t stifle her own questions for Loki anymore. 

“It is not commonplace, no. Between our advancement in healing and knowledge…” He trailed off as he watched Darcy chew on her bottom lip, fighting off a strong emotion that was quickly overcoming her. 

She swallowed thickly, knowing the territory she was wandering into was dangerous. But on this particular day, she couldn’t help herself. “Count yourself lucky then.”

“May I ask where this is coming from?” Loki’s interest was piqued. He watched these conflicting emotions flicker on her face and how she tried to fight them.

“Um.” Darcy heaved a long, shaky sigh. “I don’t know how familiar with disease and sickness you are with humans, but there are some that incurable here. My...my mom has diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. There was no cure really and the treatments for a chance of longer life are… awful.” Tears stung Darcy’s eyes as she continued, “I watched my mom go through chemotherapy and just slowly die. She lost everything that made her, her. By the end of it, there was barely anything left. At least it had all happened relatively quick in months.” Darcy hastily wiped at her eyes and sniffled loudly, “Fuck, I’m sorry. It’s just, today she would’ve been 48 years old and I just miss her so much.”

Loki remembered the photo from her apartment, tucked in the back. Truly he had never known such a close loss as Darcy’s. He thought of his own mother going in such a way and his chest constricted sharply. “I...cannot imagine what that must have been like for you. Have you any other family?”

“Nah, it was just me and mom. My dad was out of the picture when he found out my mom had gotten pregnant and she wanted to keep me. I’ve never known him and he just doesn’t exist to me.” A sad smile pulled on her lips, “She was finishing up nursing school when she had me. I don’t know how she did it, but she did. Raised me and worked full time on crazy shifts.” Silence grew between them and Darcy wanted to ask Loki so many questions of her own. Glancing at him, she watched as he merely stared out into the distance in contemplation. 

Several more pieces to the puzzle of Darcy came together for Loki. She truly was utterly alone out here. It explained the closeness to the two scientists and how they had become her surrogate family. He could feel her eyes on him. He knew she wanted to know more about him. He chose to let this play out further. 

“Family is never simple unfortunately.”

That caught Dracy’s full attention. “What happened with you and Thor?”

Loki let out a hollow chuckle, “My dear, that is a very loaded question. To put it simply, we do not see eye to eye.”

“That’s a fucking understatement if you two are leveling towns in your familial issues. Must be one hell of a disagreement you two have.”

“You have no idea.” He mused dryly. 

“Then give me an idea of it, Loki.” Darcy said quietly, staring at him with her full attention, waiting and listening. 

If the little mortal wanted an idea, he would give it to her then. “I have been lied to my entire life by the Allfather. I was made to believe I was an equal to Thor when I truly never was. I am nothing but a monster, used as a pawn!” Wth each passing word, Loki’s tone became more and more vitriolic. “I was ready to prove myself and yet I was cast away once more!”

Darcy flinched at his voice. His anger and hurt ran centuries deep. Scooting closer to the ranting god, Darcy placed a gentle hand on his arm, startling him out of his growing rage. He stared at her small hand, resting against his bare skin. It was strangely comforting to him.

“I can’t begin to understand what you’ve been through either. Coming from a royal family can’t be easy and that all sounds really...heavy to deal with. I’m sorry.”   
Once again, Darcy Lewis had surprised the god with her sincere kindness. He glanced at her hand on his arm, halting any rising emotions that had blossomed from the gesture and jerked it away, “I do not need your pity, mortal.”

“It’s not pity. I’m not just acknowledging your pain, Loki. I feel your pain as you sit here talking to me.” She looked down at the space between them and sighed quietly, ready to move away to her previous spot.

Instead, Loki slipped two fingers under her chin to have her meet his eyes, “Thank you.” Her words had affected him deeply. Her lips turned upwards faintly in a sad smile as they stared at one another. 

That hadn’t gone as Loki had planned. Her compassion stirred something within him that brought many emotions to the surface that he wasn’t ready to reckon with. He slowly stood and took several steps away from their seating, “If you will excuse me. I will return.” He needed to put space between them and clear his head. 

Darcy watched as his lone figure disappeared into the depths of the desert night. She couldn’t fault him for needing a bit of space after an exchange like that. In fact, she kind of needed it herself. Wiping at her eyes one more time, Darcy sniffled and leaned back in her chair watching the stars glitter. For whatever reason their sight didn’t bring the usual comfort they brought her. The vast dark depths made her feel exceptionally small and irrelevant. Darcy unknowingly pulled her blanket tighter around her form as she continued to stare out. Her mind drifted to Loki falling through...that. And for who knows how long? Had time been normal or distorted through his journey? She shuddered. 

Standing up abruptly from her seat, Darcy took a step forward towards the dark desert, but halted abruptly. She still had so many questions that needed answering, but the more she know, the more entangled Darcy became. Turning on her heel and kicking up dust in the process, Darcy nearly ran to the van and plopped down in there in front of the computer. She needed to occupy herself. 

Idly clicking through her email, she found something that piqued her interest. For some time now, ever since SHIELD, Ironman and Thor, she had been spending hours into research to find out more. It would seem one of her deep web contacts had came through. There was no message, only several encrypted attachments that she immediately got to work on opening. 

The first file was a brief video file. Clicking on it, the video popped open and immediately there was a horrific deep roar. The footage was shaky and poor quality as camera person jerked around. Everything was dark. Leaning in close to the screen and squinting hard, Darcy watched. Suddenly the camera wasn’t obstructed. A massive, green figure came barreling into view in the distance and was the one making the inhumane noises. “What the fuck…” Darcy muttered with wide eyes as the creature destroyed everything in its path with a mere swing of a meaty fist. Pausing the video, Darcy just stared. She had never seen anything like this before. Was it another type of alien? An experiment? She finished the video which was only a few more seconds long, ending abruptly. 

Darcy sat back heavily as this footage sunk in and her mind reeled with questions. This had to be another SHIELD cover up of some sort. Just how many were there like this? Just what sort of people was Jane working for? 

She tentatively opened the next file. It opened on footage on some sort of handheld as some traverses poorly lit urban rubble somewhere. There was quiet muttering and the walking stopped. The camera person crouched down and a light shone. Peering at where the light was pointing, Darcy paused and saw that the object of interest was some sort dead bomb. It read Stark Industries. The video only continued on to zoom in on the name and then end.

Deep, unsettling doubt settled within Darcy. Saving those files and several others to a USB drive, she decided that was enough for now. All Darcy could do the rest of that shift was sit deep in thought. She was getting so far deep into this that she wasn’t sure which way was up anymore. 

Before she knew it, dawn was upon her and she heard Loki climbing into the passenger seat. Following her usual end shift protocol, Darcy packed up and got into the driver’s seat. 

“How was your walk?” 

“Refreshing. Peaceful even.”

Darcy’s lips quirked into a faint smile, “yeah. Being out here tends to have that effect.” She paused, “about earlier… I’m glad we got to actually talk more. I know I don’t understand the full spectrum of what you’re going through, but you’re not alone in this.” She gestures vaguely while driving. “I’m just as much in the deep end of this craziness.”

Loki listened to Darcy intently. Her continued genuinity left him unsure. He merely gave a nod and remained silent.

Arriving to the apartment, the two inside and went into their own routines. Loki had draped himself over the couch with his nose buried in a book while Darcy tucked into her room. 

Opening her laptop, she immediately messaged Jane.

**Darcy: Hey, you able to chat?**

She didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

**Jane: Hi! Yeah :)**

Calling her up, the two women giggled and greeted one another, Jane immediately beginning to break into a new theory on her work and how annoyed she was with those she worked with at SHIELD.

“So… speaking of SHIELD, what’s the plan exactly!”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, we’ve had Thor and his friends land here, which brought on a weapon that nearly took out a town. What’s SHIELD’s end goal for Asgard?”

Jane was clearly thrown by this sudden question, “um well, I imagine there are some sort of emissary team they are putting together that would serve to extend peace and negotiations.”

“Okaaaay. Lemme ask you this. Can they be trusted to do that?”

The scientists brows furrowed. “...Darcy, where is this coming from?”

“C’mon Jane, you can’t be so quick to forget what happened when they came down on us with all their secret agent people. What do you think they want?”

“Darcy… it’s not that simple.” Her tone took on a defensive and condescending one. 

“They’re the dark shadowy people, Jane! There’s way more at stake here than just you getting back to Thor!” The moment it slipped out, she regretted it. Of course it was more than that for Jane. Darcy was exhausted, her brain running on potential conspiracies that she and her friends were caught in the middle of.

Jane’s cheeks flushed red and her expression was one of deep hurt.

“Jane… I didn’t mean…”

“I gotta go Darce… I’ve gotta get ready for work.” She hung up.

Darcy’s stomach turned sharply. Shutting her laptop, she flopped over to her bed with a groan.

“Good job, Lewis…”

 

_ It was happening again. Darcy had flattened herself against a building as she heard the distant screams of those trying to escape the rumbling machine that strode through little Puente Antigo, blasting everything. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, mixing with the tears that occasionally leaked from her eyes. _

_ Chancing a look around a corner to the Main Street, she saw Jane standing there defiantly before the weapon’s path. _

_ Darcy screamed for Jane to move but the woman didn’t budge as she continued to stare down the lumbering thing. All Darcy could do was watch in stunning horror as the maw of the weapon opened and unleashed a blast upon Jane. _

_ Finally able to move, Darcy stumbled out towards the scientist’s dead body and let out a cry. Her legs gave out from beneath her and in that moment she didn’t care that she was next. Taking a last look up to face her executioner, she no longer saw the Asgardian weapon. Instead, in its place stood Loki in his gleaming armour, looking proud and triumphant. The golden battle armor gleamed in the flames of the town that surrounded them, only further emphasizing the power and destruction he was capable of. Loki wore the mantle of a god in every terrifying form and relished in it.  _

_ He strode towards her, his burning green orbs fixed upon her form with purpose. With no hesitation he reached forward, wrapping his long fingers around her delicate neck, lifting her up and squeezing. Darcy wheezed and clawed at his grip to no avail. There was nothing but pain, anger and rage as he stared at her. His face contorted into a cruel, animalistic snarl as he shook her within his grasped and tightened even more. He meant to kill her with no hint of remorse.  _

  
  


In the other room, Loki was roused from his own slumber. Sitting up, he canted his head to the side as he listened for what had woken him. From Darcy’s room there was a anguished cry. Throwing the covers back, Loki was clad only in a pair of sleep pants as he approached her door. He had never heard her make such noises before and it caused a protective panic within him. He rapped on the door and there was nothing but another wheezing sob. His hand went to the doorknob and he hesitated a moment before turning it and opening the door. 

Peering into the darkness of the Darcy’s room, he saw her in bed thrashing about, deep within what he could only assume a hyper realistic nightmare. It troubled him to see her in such a state. Slowly approaching the bed, he tried once more to rouse her, “Miss Lewis…” Darcy’s chest rose up and down rapidly as the woman started to hyperventilate. Her pale face was contorted into anguish and fear as tears ran down her face. Reaching out, Loki cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder, “Miss Lewis.” He tried more firmly. 

“Please, no!” She whimpered out, “Don’t do this… don’t kill me.” 

Loki sat beside her on the bed and place his hands on either shoulder and gave her a gentle, rousing shake, “Miss…” He corrected himself, “Darcy. Wake yourself. It is simply a dream.” The woman whimpered. “Come now. You...you are safe. I’m here.”

With a jolt, Darcy’s bright eyes shot open and landed on Loki’s face. She couldn’t help as she instinctively scooted away, pressed up to her headboard with wild fear on her face. Loki made no move as she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. He watched as her hand went up to her neck and rubbed it as if remembering something. The intensity with which Darcy stared at Loki unnerved him as he sat there, undecided on what to do next.

“I can only conclude you had a most troubling dream.” Loki  attempted.

Drawing her hand away from her neck, she wiped at her eyes and nodded, “Yeah, you could say that…” Seeming to settle back into reality, Darcy observed Loki’s own disheveled state, “I obviously woke you up. S-sorry…” 

He shook his head, “There is no need to apologize. To be stuck in such a state is not something I would wish upon you.” Loki ventured cautiously, “do you want to speak of it?” He wasn’t entirely convinced he should leave her yet. 

His question threw Darcy for a bit of a loop, “What? It was just a dream…”

“A seemingly horrific one at that. That stems from something.” Loki couldn’t deny that he was curious as to what would set such a reaction off in Darcy. 

Darcy sat there in silence a moment, mulling over if she really should tell him. Would it give him more power over her? Or could it potentially appeal to some sort of humanity within the god? She weighed the options in her mind and took a deep breath.

“It was the attack on the town. Where you...had sent that  _ thing _ to destroy Thor.” Darcy watched his reaction as Loki leaned back slightly as her confession sunk in. His brows furrowed slightly and he closed his eyes. Whatever impact this information had on him, he gave her nothing as he silently stood and turned on his heel, taking his leave of her room. 

Too tired to pursue him or this conversation further, Darcy reached to her bedside table and popped open a bottle of medication. Shaking out a single pill, she popped an Ativan into her mouth and settled back into her bed. She wasn’t keen on the medication, and only tried to use it in such cases  as this evening. Darcy needed a deep restful sleep if she was going to have to deal with Loki the next day after the admission she had just given him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for my long absence, but at the end of June, I received devastating family news and within a month and a bit had lost someone very close to me. I'm slowly trying to get back into a routine here and with that comes my writing. Hopefully I can back on track, as it is therapeutic for me. 
> 
> Enjoy the latest chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

Loki’s mind turned Darcy’s words over and over in his mind as he pulled on clothes and shoes and left the apartment. He needed to get out of that tiny, suffocating space and away from her. His long legs strode quickly against the dusty road as he walked quickly away from the apartment building and towards the edge of the town. He didn’t want to see any of it. He didn’t want to be among the simple, fragile, midgardian dwellings. His walk into the desert this time was far from peaceful as he clenched his fists. He couldn’t get that look out of his mind’s eye. The tears in her eyes and the raw fear. The fear he had caused and that continued to haunt Darcy.

He was furious. How could such a mortal’s fear affect him so? All he had wanted to do in that moment as Darcy had woken from the vivid night terror was gather her in his arms and provide comfort. This wasn’t what he had come to Midgard for. He would not follow the same path as that fool, Thor.

Letting out a yell in the pitch dark, Loki lost his control. He had been containing himself ever since landing on Midgard; ever since he’d let go at the bridge. Everything within him was brimming with raw pain and confusion. And then he felt it. Rushing to the surface in a near painful burst. That familiar crackling energy at his fingertips. It was so faint and not enough to manifest into anything, but it halted Loki. His magic was actually returning to him. He stared down at his hands and it served as a reminder as for why he was here and his mission. Those bright blue eyes were there again, full of terror. Terror because of him.

  _“Serve your purpose here, Asgardian and she will be saved. You can save her, give the midgardian purpose.”_

That familiar wicked voice whispered in his mind.

_“Wield your power and she will come to you. Show her what true power is.”_

He could see her now. She looked up at him in adoration, marveling at his triumph over Midgard as he became it’s ruler.

_“It is time, Trickster. Show them all. Show her.”_

There was a chilling flash of blinding blue hues in his mind and something more stirred deep within Loki. He had fought so hard to gain the Allfather’s approval and respect to only have thrown back in his face. His rightful place on the throne as ruler thwarted by Thor. His excruciating fall through space and time, to be forgotten by his so called family. The promises of power by the titan. It all coursed through Loki’s veins and fueled him. A dark chuckle tumbled past his lips and he closed his eyes, savoring this newfound power. It was indeed time to start.

 

Darcy awoke the next morning extremely groggy. It took her a moment to remember the previous night. The night terrors and Loki waking her. The look on his face when she had told him why. She vaguely remembered him leaving. Running a hand over her face, Darcy cursed under her breath. Who knew what this revelation would bring between the two of them. This had been inevitable to happen sooner or later anyways.

Pulling back the covers, Darcy pulled on a pair of yoga pants and sweater. Standing in front of her door, she mentally prepared the best she could.

Stepping into the living room, it was void of Loki. In fact, he was nowhere in the little apartment. This was new. She pushed down the worry that surfaced and went ahead with starting up some coffee and breakfast. She should be happy to have such privacy for once. But the silence made her uneasy. It wasn’t peaceful or calm, but like the heaviness in the air before a powerful storm. Before whipping up pancakes, Darcy turned the TV on to have some sort of noise in the background and attempt to calm her unease. She finished making breakfast and went on to wash up in the bathroom. Still no Loki when she came out.

Darcy reluctantly went ahead with eating and set aside a plate for him. Prodding the fluffy cakes, she switched the channel to something local. After several minutes, there was no mention of any Asgardians terrorizing anything, she took that as a win. The worry full on clenched in her stomach though and Darcy pushed away her plate of half eaten food. With a huff, she wandered into the kitchen and began cleaning up. Darcy Lewis cleaning right up after a meal. That was new. She really did need a distraction.

Washing the last of the dishes, Darcy turned around and let out a yell of surprise as Loki stood there just behind her form, causing her to drop the mug she had just washed. It smashed to the floor in dozens of jagged pieces. “What the hell, Spaceman!? Trying to give me a heart attack or something?”

He said nothing and merely stood there as he regarded her words with a slight tilt of his head. That was unsettling. Darcy went on, “Listen, I, uh, made some breakfast.” She made a vague gesture to the now cooled pancakes and coffee on the kitchen table where she had cleared a spot. He didn’t move an inch and just stared at her intently. Trying to now look anywhere but at him, Darcy crouched down and began to pick up the pieces of the mug. “Where were you even? Have you been out all night? Ah! Shit…” Darcy nicked a finger on a broken piece of the ceramic. Blood began to bead on her finger and she hissed.

Next thing she knew, Loki was also squatting down before her. He reached forward and grasped her hand within his own and brought the bleeding finger to his lips. Darcy could only watch open mouthed and dumbstruck as her finger touched his cool, soft lips. There was a faint tingling. Before her eyes, the skin knit back together, as if the cut never happened.  Not even a line.

She could feel the color drain from her face and stomach dropping violently. She knew what this meant and by the glint in Loki’s eyes, so did he. Letting go of her hand, he leaned forward, the corner of his lips quirking into a smirk. There was faint smear of her blood on his bottom lip. Tongue darting out, he licked his lip clean, seeming to savor it as his eyes fluttered closed momentarily. “Do not fret just yet, Miss Lewis.” He stood and walked to the couch, where he picked up a book he had left off and resumed it.

That exchange sent way too many conflicting feelings through Darcy and she desperately tried to keep her composure. Looking down, Darcy saw the mug was whole again and she sank down onto the floor fully and stared at it.

This changed everything. Her time was up.

 

All day, she watched him as he sat poised either reading or meditating. It was if she were watching her predator readying itself to devour her whole. She didn’t even bother broaching the previous night with him. Darcy kept running through options and scenarios in her head. She wanted to scream. No matter what, someone would end up dead or worse. Staring at the back of Loki’s head as he sat on on the floor in meditation, she chewed on her lip. While she knew he carried ill intentions, she knew SHIELD would lock him up and subject him to who knew what kind of horrific study and experimentation. The discovery of magic was not something that would slip through their fingers to twist into their own agenda. Jane could never help her. Darcy wasn’t willing to drag her into Loki’s sights. And attempting to contact some sort of outsider, like Ironman, would never work from a nobody like her.

“While I am sure your mind is positively reeling from my little trick earlier, I don’t imagine the back of my head is that fascinating.” Loki’s voice roused Darcy from her thoughts like a bucket of cold water. He didn’t even move. He could just sense her gaze.

Darcy bristled at his jibe. “Oh fuck off!” He stiffened at her outburst, clearly not anticipating that sort of reaction. “While you relish in having your mojo back, I’m over here freaking the fuck out about the this means for the rest of the world! Are-are you gonna pull what you did to Puente Antiguo on a larger scale!? I have no idea what any of this means. I...I don’t know what to do.” Just as quickly her burst had come, Darcy’s words faltered as hot tears threatened to spill. She was exhausted and scared.

Loki stood and turned to face her, remaining cool as ever. “You would not seek the aid of those who had apprehended Thor?” He kept his expression perfectly neutral as he posed the question.

“I don’t really consider SHIELD an option. They… They have their own agendas regarding power.”

That piqued his interest. “This SHIELD is considered a formidable force then?”

Her gaze flickered away and Darcy gave a noncommittal shrug, “Maybe?” She couldn’t feed him information.

The god stepped forward slowly, “Come now, Miss Lewis. There is no need to be so evasive. Like you said, you do not know what I have planned, do you?” Once more, he openly displayed his growing powers to her as the attire she’d gotten him morphed into something else entirely. He strode forward now in heavy leather boots, snug leather breeches, a deep green tunic and a sweeping leather overcoat that all looked like something out of some sort of medieval fantasy. “Perhaps there is a new dawn on the horizon on relations between Midgard and Asgard.” He oozed menace and power. But this was beyond anger and revenge. Darcy watched him intently, eyes narrowed in observation of this new version of Loki. While his pain had always been obvious to her, this was different. It didn’t seem like it were entirely Loki. His features seemed darker, his face carrying a strange edge to it.

Darcy didn’t look upon him in awe or adoration like he had expected her to at his display. Instead, she stood her ground and squared herself to him. Those bright eyes of hers broke through him and his strut. They were hard, scared and brimming with tears. Nothing about this made him felt mighty or kingly. Once more, tears rolled down her cheeks because of him. There was a dull throb in his chest, as if an arrow had struck him. His mask cracked entirely. “You have no need to fear me.” The words of the silver tongue left his lips in sincerity and vulnerability. It caught both parties by surprise.

The drastic swing in moods displayed by Loki left the poor young woman reeling. It wasn’t lost on her though, the inner turmoil he too felt. Every so often there were those brief glimpses of frays in the built up defenses. He’d been torn down to nothing in his descent and was hastily trying rebuild those barriers and keep distance.

“Loki?” He had grown pale and took a step back to place a hand on the back of the couch and brace himself as he staggered back in a grunt. Without a thought, Darcy was at his side, “Loki?” All bravado from only moments earlier had completely left him. Even his attire looked as if it had dulled. He looked confused and dumbfounded as his legs began to give out. Bracing against his side and sliding his arm over her shoulders, Darcy supported the giant against her, “C’mon lets get you sitting.” She let out an amused laugh, “Maybe waving your awesome magical abilities around so quickly wasn’t the best idea you had.”

Loki groaned as they stumbled together around to the couch’s seating. Flopping back heavily, they sat together. “Perhaps not.” He conceded, much too drained to remark beyond that.

It wasn’t lost on Darcy that his arm hadn’t moved from her shoulders and she was pressed against his side.  What had this even become? “You’re an egotistical ass, you know that right?”

She could feel him give a faint huff of a chuckle, “I have been told as much in so many words before.”

Darcy didn’t want to admit to herself just how good it felt to be flush against his side in such a casual manner. Tucked under his arm against his large frame took her away from that apartment momentarily. He didn’t mind the circumstances either it seemed, as Loki remained still as well. They both soaked in the quiet connection they had and what that meant.

“I never meant to frighten you.”

“What?” _That_ caught her off guard.

“My intention earlier. It was not to frighten you. Not having my magic was like missing a limb. It is an extension of me and in not having it has been...excruciating. Just to have the faintest bit of it back, it meant some sort of control. It overtook me somewhat.” His confession made sense to her, but she knew there was more going on. In their brief time spent together, his struggle for control was evident, but the near whiplash change in his demeanor wasn't lost on Darcy. “I apologize.” She could tell this wasn't something he did often, admitting his fault. She wasn't going to let such an opportunity go to waste, even if she was still upset with him.

“Apology accepted.” He shifted next to her and looked down at the little mortal at his side. She returned his gaze and offered a soft, reassuring smile. He seemed stunned by her simple kindness and forgiveness.

Everything within Darcy in that moment wanted to lean in and change everything further. In another lifetime, maybe it could be that simple. But housed in a tiny apartment with the God of Lies and Mischief, in this world, it could never be so. Needing some sort of distance between the two of them and quickly, she leaned back.

“You never ate my pancakes!” She accused, throwing him momentarily.

“Pardon?”

“Pancakes. I made pancakes while you were off finding your mojo.” Hefting herself up and away, Darcy padded into the kitchen. “I’ll heat some up. I bet you’re starving after your performance issues there.” He could only bristle quietly at her as she cackled playfully at her own innuendo.

“You should not make light of the depth of my powers, Miss Lewis.” The god couldn’t help as his mouth quirked up one side.

Popping the pancakes into the toaster oven to heat back up, she leaned against the counter top, “Yeah, well, color me impressed when you pull a bouquet of flowers from your ass or something.” Darcy grinned widely as he whipped around on the couch and glared at her over the back of it and sputtered, “What!?” Doubling over, the brunette howled at the look on his face. She might as well have insulted his manhood. Narrowing his eyes and rolling them he grumbled, “You’re insufferable.”

“I’m insufferable and you’re an ass. What a pair we make.”

“A pair indeed.”

The toaster oven pinged as the pancakes finished heating up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been much longer than I ever intended to go without an update and I apologize. Thank you for continuing to read my little fic, and I hope to get some more chapters up in a timely manner <3


	10. Chapter 10

Darcy was sprawled out over the couch haphazardly as she watched the television in utter boredom. Loki sat in the recliner, his eyes skimming through yet another book with his chin propped up in his hand as he leaned to one side. Both were starting to go a bit on the stir-crazy side in the small space and routine they’d been in the last couple of weeks. “Wait. It’s a Saturday!” Darcy exclaimed suddenly, prompting Loki to lazily quirk a brow at her.

She righted herself up with a grin, “Listen, I need outta here and I bet you do too! Let’s hit up Dirty Joe’s! But,” Darcy pointed a finger at him, “you gotta promise to behave.”

“Whom is this Dirty Joe we are ‘hitting up’?” Loki’s dry tone indicated that he was clearly not impressed with this plan.

Darcy huffed as she stood up, “Dirty Joe’s is a pub here. Well, THE pub here. Like a tavern?” She tried to explain and wandered into her room, leaving the door open a crack so she could still talk to Loki and get changed. “I assume that’s probably what Asgardians call them, right?”

“You would assume correct, Miss Lewis.” He called out to her. Snapping his book closed, he straightened in the seat. Getting out wouldn’t be such a bad thing, he could use some sort of distraction from his thoughts.

After some shuffling around coming from Darcy’s room, she re-emerged with renewed energy and excitement. Standing up, Loki turned to regard her and nearly froze. She had ditched the oversized layers in favor of a form-fitting deep green tank top that dipped low, giving a very generous eyeful of her cleavage, and skinny jeans that clung to her like a second skin following the swell of her backside. She wore her wavy locks loose and over her bare shoulders and she seemed to have added a touch of makeup. Darcy couldn’t help but blush as Loki’s gaze drank in her form and she cleared her throat. “Dang, Spaceman, you’re not subtle.”

Loki blinked several times and played off his obvious gawking, “Should I be more subtle when appreciating such beauty?” She turned even pinker much to his amusement. He watched as she shuffled past to grab a coat and her purse. He then magicked himself more appropriate attire on himself of a black collared dress shirt he left the top few buttons open on, black slacks and dress shoes.

Darcy looked back, ready to hurry him along, but ended up ogling as well, “Well, don’t we clean up nicely!” He gave her a slick smirk as he came up beside her and offered his arm as they left the apartment.

It was already dark out as they walked a few blocks down towards Dirty Joe’s, a small sized bar on a corner. It was nothing impressive and fairly simple looking on the outside. As the pair stepped inside, they were immediately hit with the smell of booze and smoke. It seemed to be the weekend choice of dwelling for the small town as a mix of residents patronized it, passing for partially busy. There was a mix of booths and bar seating with some unoccupied spaces. Darcy eagerly dragged Loki to a booth and he knew right away where the dirty came from in the bar’s name. The space was very worn, although not in the sense of being seedy. From what he could see, everyone here seemed at ease and having fun as music thrummed out. In the far back was a small dance space with colored lights where already a few people were dancing and laughing.

Sitting down in the cracked vinyl seating of the booth, Darcy flashed Loki a smile, “It’s not much, I know, but it beats sitting inside all night.”

He cleared his throat, “I suppose so.” Loki wasn’t convinced this was quite an upgrade on their evening plans.

“Darcy! Long time, no see, sweetheart!” An older woman with her long hair piled up in a messy bun approached the table with a friendly smile towards Darcy.

“Hey, Cheryl!” Darcy offered a sheepish smile, “yeah, sorry, been a bit, uh, busy lately.” She offered lamely. Cheryl’s eyes landed on Loki and the woman let out a low whistle.

"Oh-ho, I bet!” She teased, “Nice work, Lewis!” Cheryl gave a wink and all Darcy wanted in that moment was to dive under the table. The woman gave a raspy laugh, “The usual? And your _friend_ here?”

“Yeah, make it a double though, please.” Darcy thought for a moment as to what would appeal to Loki’s tastes. “Anything dark on tap?”

“You bet! Pint?” Darcy gave a nod and the woman winked once more, “Comin’ right up!” She darted off.

“I cannot help but notice how flustered you are, Miss Lewis.” Cheryl’s teasing hadn’t gone unnoticed it seemed.

Darcy shot him a look, “Oh, get over yourself. It’s a small town and people are just nosey and have to comment on everything.” Averting her gaze she idly fiddled with a cardboard coaster on the table. Several awkward moments passed between the two as Loki watched Darcy. While familiar with the setting, she looked as if she felt out of place.

"You miss them.” He stated quietly.

Darcy looked up, mildly startled at his accurate statement and just then their drinks were placed before them, Cheryl giving a quick ‘enjoy!’ as she went to tend to the busying bar. She didn’t touch her drink yet as her mouth opened and closed a few times. “Of course I do. We used to come here all the time together.” Her own voice had grown quiet with a hint of hurt laced in her few words. She took a deep drink of her mixed drink.

“Why did they abandon you here?” He took a drink of his own beverage. While it was a far cry from Asgardian ale, the deep malty flavor agreed with him for now.

_Abandon._ The word hit Darcy like a tonne of bricks. She tried to shake it off and rolled her eyes, “I told you, someone had to stay out here and keep an eye on things since this seems to be the destination spot for raining Asgardians.” She gave him a tight smile and took another drink. “Besides, I’m not a fancy scientist with a million abbreviations after my last name.” And another.

He had definitely hit the bullseye of sore spots for Darcy and tucked that little piece of information away.

“Did you ever go out like this back on Asgard?” Darcy was determined to not linger on the previous subject and pressed on to something else.

“There was a time, yes.” He replied and both nursed their drinks. “Although, our dwellings are much more impressive than...this.”

“I don’t doubt that.” She conceded and flagged Cheryl down for another drink.

“Oh?” He was intrigued by her easy agreement.

Darcy gave a short laugh, “Well duh! I bet there are all sorts of neat warriors and stuff! And space-ale! I bet that shit is potent! And being viking-aliens, I bet Asgardians know how to party.”

Clearing his throat, Loki smirked, “Oh yes, we certainly know how to party.” The look he gave her over his drink insinuated much more.

A fresh drink was placed before Darcy and she hastily picked it up. “Tell me about Asgard.”

Loki paused a moment as he felt the dull throb of missing his home, “Your Midgardian text does little justice to truly encapsulate Asgard’s wondrous glory. The realm itself thrums with life and power of its own that touches the tallest spire of the city to the oldest trees in the forests. All at once it feels ancient and new.” Darcy watched Loki as his brows furrowed, finding the right words to adequately describe his home. She hung onto every word, trying her best to imagine it all. “The rainbow bridge arcs across crystalline waters to the golden city of Asgard. There is a liveliness to it like no other. The streets bustle with long-lived Asgardians. Warriors, healers, scholars… It is full of ancient knowledge one could study for ages…” His voice trailed off.

Reaching across the table, Darcy placed her hand over his and gave a faint squeeze, “It sounds amazing, Loki. I… I’d love to see it one day.” She added quickly, mildly embarrassed at such a farfetched thing to hope for. How could she even begin to hope she could visit such a place?

“It would be my honor to one day show you, Darcy.”

_Darcy_. Her name. On his lips. It caught her completely off guard, as well as him too it seemed as he glanced down at his ale. She secretly wanted him to say her name again. A delightful warmth spread throughout her body and immediately she felt silly. The alcohol had officially taken up temporary residence in her brain and was given her stupid notions.

As both fell silent, a loud song began to blare over the speakers. Jumping to her feet, drunk Darcy was now at the helm as she whooped. “I love this song!” Loki looked startled by this sudden and loud proclamation from the young woman. She wore a big grin, her eyes wide and playful as she began to bop herself in time to the song, “C’mon!” Without a thought, Darcy wrapped her hand around his wrist and began to drag the god to the dance floor, surprisingly with no resistance.

They arrived at the fringe of the dance floor where Darcy full on began to move her body in time to the music. Her full hips swayed, the movement flowing up her spine to her shoulders where she tilted her head back singing along. Loki was completely frozen to where he stood and watched, just out of reach of the flashing lights. He hadn’t seen her defenses down before that allowed her to relax in such a way that Darcy positively glowed. He swallowed _hard_. The way she was moving made him aware of just how much she was testing is restraint. Loki was a warm-blooded male after all and was appreciative of the display.

Darcy’s gaze snapped up to meet his own. Normally she would’ve crumbled into a million pieces at the dark look in his eyes, but the liquid courage coursing through her screamed for more. Reaching out, she pulled him closer to her, out of the shadows. Darcy smiled encouragingly to him as she guided his hands to rest on the swell of her hips. His hands were rigid with uncertainty. Trailing her hands up, she placed her hands on his broad shoulders and took the lead in guiding him to find a rhythm. He lowered his head to speak into her ear.

“You are truly testing me, Miss Lewis.” The tight restraint laced in his low tone sent a delightful shiver down her spine.

“Good.” She retorted and gave a deep dip to her hips where his hands tightened on her. While such dancing seemed entirely unnatural for the god, Darcy had to admit, his effort looked damn good to her.

Looking down at the small midgardian before him, Loki couldn’t help but crack the faintest of smiles. Never had someone treated him with such kind familiarity before. Any occasions that evolved into such festivities and dancing usually had resulted in him leaving.

The next song suddenly took on a much slower pace. Before he knew it, Darcy pulled him closer and rested her head against his chest in an embrace that felt much too natural.  

_Love was kind for a time_

_But now just aches and it makes me blind_

_This mirror holds my eyes too bright_

_But I can't see the others other in my life_

_We too young and heads too strong_

_To bear the weight of these lovers eyes_

_I feel numb beneath your tongue_

_Beneath the curse of these lovers eyes_

Darcy’s grip on Loki tightened noticeably. Both held one another as if it were a long needed remedy, even if it was a temporary one. They could feel each other’s pain and loneliness beyond more than either could say.  

_But do not ask the price I pay_

_I must live with my quiet rage_

_Tame the ghosts in my head_

_That run wild and wish me dead_

_Should you shake my ash to the wind_

_Lord forget all of my sins_

_And let me die where I lie_

_Beneath the curse of these lovers eyes_

The brunette looked up at him, “No matter what happens, I’m glad you fell to Earth, Loki.” A cascade of emotions crashed down on the Asgardian. Her words meant more to him than she could ever know.  But the effect on him left a trail of troubled thoughts. 

_There is no drink or drug I've tried_

_To rid the curse of these lover's eyes_

_I feel numb beneath her tongue_

_Her strength just makes me feel less strong_

Loki held her in a tighter embrace and rested his face against the top of her head. They both knew this couldn’t last. Eventually, they would have to walk through the doors and leave the night here. There was no simple future ahead for either of them. 

_But do not ask the price I pay_

_I must live with my quiet rage_

_Tame the ghosts in my head_

_That run wild and wish me dead_

_Should you shake my ash to the wind_

_Lord forget all of my sins_

_And let me die where I lie_

_Beneath the curse of my lovers eyes_

They both memorized how they felt in one another’s arms. Neither wanted to admit how right it felt.   

_I walk slow_

_I walk slow_

_Take my hand help me on my way_

_I walk slow_

_I walk slow_

_Take my hand help me on my way_

Pulling away ever so slightly, Loki trailed a hand up to the side of Darcy’s face, “As am I.” Sincerity shone deep within his green eyes. 

Every fiber of Darcy’s being wanted nothing more than to claim his lips and show him just how glad she truly was. She chided herself knowing how unfair that would be to them both in her current inebriated state. Taking a step back, out of his arms, she gave him a strained smile, “I’ll go get us some fresh drinks.” The night was still young though, and they could still enjoy what time they had left here tonight.

Staring at the emptiness where Darcy was before darting off to the bartender, Loki was finally able to apply some sort of rationale to his thoughts again. Stalking back to their booth, he cursed at himself. Just what in Valhalla was he doing? Her closeness brought out a deep longing and hurt in him that he couldn’t afford to share with her. Loki needed to put some sort of distance between himself and Darcy if he was to go through with his plans.

Darcy plopped down across from him with new drinks and a refreshed vigor. “Who knew the god of Mischief and Lies had moves like that?” She teased lightly.

Allowing his darker thoughts to slip away, for now, he chuckled quietly, “After fifteen-hundred years, I would hope I have some semblance of ‘moves’.”

She nearly choked on her drink, “Shut the hell up! What!?”

He looked rather amused at her reaction, “There are ancient texts on me. How old did you think I was?”

Darcy huffed and ran a hand through her hair, “I mean, I haven’t ever given it much thought, but I didn’t think over fifteen-hundred!” Wide-eyed, she leaned back against the booth and took a long drink. “It starts to explain the superiority complex though…”

“Hm, I think I would put more blame on being raised a prince for that.” He mused. Darcy began to giggle into her drink, producing a rosy glow to her cheeks. “Just what is so amusing now?”

“I got Prince Loki, god of Mischief and Lies, to go to a dumpy bar in the middle of nowhere Puente Antiguo with me and hit the dance floor!” Her giggles evolved into full, hearty laughter.

Loki had to admit, the circumstances were rather bizarre and found himself laughing as well. As the two collected themselves, Darcy heaved a sigh, “Pretty sure I’m drunk.”

“I’m inclined to agree.” He finished his beverage off.

“Does that seriously have no effect on you?” He shook his head and she pouted. “Oh, lame! Wait - no, I remember Selvig came here with Thor and got totally trashed. Thor outdrank him like it was nothing, ha!” Resting her head back against her seat, Darcy closed her eyes and mused, “Is it weird that I don’t want to leave?”

“Strangely, no.”

“It’s like if we stay here, time doesn’t have to move forward…” He watched as her expression began to melt into sadness. “Because, beyond those doors, there’s stupid SHIELD and…” She opened her eyes to stare at him, “I know you’re here for a reason, Loki, I’m not stupid. And I’m gonna be in so much fucking trouble eventually.”

As Darcy babbled, Loki’s jaw ticked. He wasn’t going to let that happen. Somehow, he was going to find a way for Darcy to be a part if his plans. To protect her.

“...And then I just got into this argument with Jane about SHIELD and now we aren’t even talking and I really miss her! She’s like a sister to me y’know?” Darcy was very drunk now and it was time to get her home and in bed.

Loki subtly flagged down Cheryl to pay for their drinks. Pulling out a wallet from his back pocket, he hoped his magic would work with the Midgardian technology to pay as he produced a credit card. Darcy watched in awe as he paid.

“Ohmygosh, isn’t he awesome, Cheryl?” Darcy gushed and the woman snickered and nodded.

"I trust you’re getting her home safe?” Her card machine beeped as the transaction went through.

Producing a dashing smile, Loki gave a nod, “Safe and sound to bed.” He stood from the booth and moved around to help Darcy up and get her coat on.

“And a gentleman to boot!” Darcy giggled as gave her a quiet sigh.

“I do _try_ to be sometimes.” Securing her on his arm, he aided the drunken Darcy towards the doors. He felt his stomach drop. She was right. Once they left, it was back to it all. He took a brief moment to look down at Darcy, who in turn looked up and gave him a gentle smile. “Let’s get you home, shall we?” They pushed past the doors into the cool night air together and embarked on their walk back to the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, once again I disappeared. I'm not going to go into any details, as I'm an extremely private person. Just know that I've already written up a few chapters ahead and am in the process of editing them. I also have the entirety of the story pretty well planned out. Please enjoy!


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